Getty Coby White, of the UNC Tar Heels, projects to be an ideal fit in the NBA Draft for the Lakers and Celtics.
An electric scorer who broke Michael Jordan’s freshman scoring record at UNC, Coby White comes into the 2019 NBA draft with his stock soaring through the roof. On the back of some very strong play in a deep NCAA tournament run, White now finds himself in the discussion to possibly move up into the top half of the NBA Draft Lottery.
A combo guard able to either play on the ball as a point guard or off the ball as a shooting guard, White projects to offer a decent amount of lineup versatility at the next level. While he is a bit more refined as an off-ball shooter compared to running the offense, he looks the part of someone who should be able to adequately do both over the course of a very long career.
While there are other players who may have a bit higher of ceilings in the draft, few players possess the floor that White has. A walking bucket at UNC, White should be able to find and create his own looks at the NBA level. Even if he reaches the full potential of his abilities, White should carve out a role as a serviceable bench player for years to come.
Coby White NBA Draft: Latest Mock Draft Projections
Currently, Coby White is projected to go as high as the 4th overall pick in our own Jeff Smith’s Mock Draft. As a versatile scorer with great size, White also has the raw tools that NBA teams look for in top prospects. Especially in such a weak class outside of Zion Williamson, there is a very good chance that teams in the top half of the lottery decide to avoid risk and take the proven ACC scorer.
Despite his upside, White also has a few flaws that could knock him down into the second half of the lottery. Lacking ideal size to play off the ball along with possessing some questionable decision making on the ball, White isn’t the perfect prospect. Despite his natural scoring ability, he is the type of player who will likely need a bit of seasoning in order to make a sizeable impact. As a result, some mock drafts – like Sporting News – have White slipping down to the fringes of the lottery at 13.
Coby White NBA Draft: Celtics & Lakers Among Best Fits
Among the top fits for Coby White are two of the NBA’s most storied franchises – the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. With White projected to go somewhere in the second half of the lottery, both teams may wind up having a chance to pick with White on the board. The Celtics have an outside chance to sneak away with the 9th overall pick from the Grizzlies, which would give them a very realistic chance to grab White. Of course, that is contingent on the fact that the Grizzlies fall outside of the top eight in the lottery, otherwise, Boston is going to be sitting and waiting until the 14th pick – where White should almost certainly be off the board.
With Terry Rozier likely on the way out in Boston, the Celtics will be looking for another serviceable combo guard to run off the bench and White offers a fantastic fit. A fantastic spot-up shooter able to play off the ball or a dangerous weapon running the offense, White offers the Celtics versatility – which they love – and another scoring option. Despite their strong scorers in Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics often struggle to get consistent buckets. Especially with Irving off the floor, the addition of White could be a huge shot in the arm moving forward.
The Lakers are likely to land in either the 10th or 11th spot and don’t have any risk of losing their pick. While there is a chance someone could swoop in earlier and land White, the Lakers look to be a very realistic landing spot for the former UNC star. In desperate need of backcourt shooting, the Lakers have an obvious need for White to fill. His spot-up shooting, in particular, should be a huge boost for the Lakers. Expect white to see plenty of spot-up opportunities behind the three-point line playing alongside LeBron James and Lonzo Ball.