Name: Coby White
Height (w/ shoes): 6’5″
Weight: 185 pounds
Wingspan: 6’4″
Position: Point Guard
School: University of North Carolina
Class: Freshman
STATISTICS (35 GAMES)
16.1 points (42.3/35.3/80.0), 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals
STRENGTHS
White is a naturally gifted offensive player. A good ball handler with lateral quickness, White is extremely difficult to stop one-on-one, scoring at the rim, from mid-range, or from the three-point line with solid percentages.
White simply knows how to score the basketball and can do it in a number of ways. He knows how to be the lead guard, creating his own shot with the ball in his hands. However, he also knows how to get to his spots and knock down jumpers off the pass.
He is the traditional below the rim threat who won’t use verticality and athleticism to beat players. White is an extremely crafty guard who requires attention at all times from a defense. His NBA shot might take a little while to find its way, but once it does, he could be a starter-level player in this league on the offensive end.
Another positive of White is his passion leadership ability. At North Carolina, White knew how to keep his teammates invested and had it not been for a scorching hot Auburn team, they could’ve found themselves in the championship game.
WEAKNESSES
While White has the skillset to become an elite offensive player in the NBA, there are going to be some things that hold him back throughout his career.
For starters, White’s wingspan is just 6’4″ which is actually one inch shorter than his height. He also has a very low vertical for someone of his size, meaning he will not have any athleticism to use to his advantage.
This lack of athleticism will kill him on the defensive end where he struggled at times to stay in front of his man and play reliable help defense. White projects to be one of those guards that teams hide on defense for fear of getting exposed at that position.
Sadly, athleticism can’t really be learned, meaning he might be plagued with these issues for a while. However, if his work ethic and passion hold up, there’s no reason he can’t find his way to success.
FIT WITH LAKERS
White would actually have made a decent fit for the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’s someone that they could’ve been very interested in had they selected with their original No. 11 pick. However, the move up to No. 4 all but guarantees they won’t draft White.
As point guards go, White could’ve been an excellent off the bench option for Lonzo Ball and might have been able to find some minutes alongside him. However, if the Lakers plan on taking a guard, it will most likely be Darius Garland or Jarrett Culver.
If White can work on his defensive instincts, he might be able to make up for his lack of size and athleticism, but it’s likely he’ll go through that process on another team and not the Lakers.