Do you think Zach LaVine is losing his mind right now watching Coby White establish himself as a legitimate scoring guard in this league? Remember, LaVine seems to have a fragile ego and has prioritized becoming an All-Star above everything else. Any player who threatens to take shots away from him is a potential enemy, and that enemyship is only intensified if that player happens to share LaVine’s position on the court.
While White calmly continues to have bigtime scoring performances, LaVine is watching his complete control over the Bulls’ offense slip out of his fingers. His problems were all supposed to be over when Markkanen got injured, but it seems like his problems have only just begun. It’s all fine and dandy when somebody like Adam Mokoka has a one-off fifteen-point game, but things are neither fine nor dandy when White averages over 20 PPG for the month of February. White represents a destabilizing force that might be on the team long-term.
What I’m saying is, do not be surprised when Portis vs. Mirotic version two happens sometime in the middle of March. The only surprising thing will be how LaVine’s punch aimed at White’s face will actually straighten White’s teeth and improve his smile.