Coby White has resurgent night against Orlando Magic

Coby White looked like a star off the Chicago bench on Friday night, scoring a season-high 20 points in a win over the Orlando Magic.

Chicago Bulls reserve point guard Coby White looked like the Coby White of old on Friday night, scoring an ultra-efficient 20 points in just 24 minutes in a 123-88 blowout victory over the Orlando Magic.

White hit 9-of-11 shots from the floor and 2-of-3 from three-point range, while pulling down four rebounds and dishing out two assists. He also turned the ball over just once despite heavy usage off the Chicago bench. The Bulls were a game-high plus-39 while White was on the floor, as the former Tar Heel topped his previous season-high in points from just over a week ago when he notched 14 points against the New York Knicks.

White and the Bulls are hoping to see more of this from the former starter turned backup who returned from a shoulder injury in mid-November. There’s no doubt that he can, as the 21-year-old from Wilson, North Carolina averaged 15.1 points, 4.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 36 percent from beyond the arc a season ago.

If that does happen, though, and White continues to trend upward as he regains his confidence, endurance and effectiveness out on the court, what will the Bulls do with him? With the make-up of their current roster and the early success they’ve seen this season, it seems unlikely that White would be reinserted into the team’s starting lineup. But could they keep a player with that much star-power and potential on the bench for long?

Here’s hoping that White does just that, and brings into question his status as a backup for the foreseeable future versus a valuable asset on the open market with more to offer an organization in need of a promising young guard.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Coby White, and former UNC basketball players throughout the NBA.