Coby White's 'Underrated' Skill That Could Unlock the Charlotte Hornets' Bench

Coby White is the exact type of player that the Charlotte Hornets' bench has been yearning for.

Charlotte's really struggles without LaMelo Ball on the floor. Sion James (-6.6 on/off net rating differential), Collin Sexton (-6.3), and Tre Mann (-13.3) are all useful players in the right context, but none of them can shepherd the Hornets offense to even a league-average level without Ball by their side.

That's where White comes in.

The veteran point guard is known for his scoring exploits. White averaged a career-high 20.4 points per game in 2024-25 with impressive 45/37/90 shooting splits. When right, White attempts and makes three-pointers at an elite rate, and his gravitational pull on the perimeter will be a godsend for some of the Hornets' reserve units that struggle to keep the offense clicking.

His +5.2 net rating ranked third on the Bulls before the trade, meaning White was operating a solid NBA offense while playing the majority of his minutes against starting units. That spark plug scoring ability should transition nicely in a supercharged sixth man role.

However, it's not just his scoring that will upgrade Charlotte's bench. Another "underrated" skill that White possesses may be the real key to unlocking the Hornets' second unit.

Peterson and Lee call White an "underrated passer"

There's no question that Jeff Peterson and Charles Lee are in sync.

The Hornets' lead decision-maker and their head coach used the exact same term, 'underrated,' to describe White's impact as a playmaker.

A quartet of Coby White passes that I could see him making in the flow of Charlotte’s offense.

A combination of drive and kicks and extra swing passes to extend advantages that could help unlock some of the Hornets’ struggling bench units. pic.twitter.com/y1vz9TigG6
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) February 10, 2026

"I think he can really stretch the floor with the shooting, especially shooting off the dribble. He makes it very tough for defenders to guard him. They have to switch up their coverages with him. I think he's an underrated passer," said Peterson in his post-trade deadline media availability.

Lee echoed Peterson's sentiment.

"Watching some of his film, and talking to Jeff a little bit, I think he's an underrated passer. I think he's going to fit in really well with how fast we want to play."

White is adept at drawing in defenders and making the right pass at the very last second to squeeze every ounce of opportuinty opened up by an opponent's over-aggression. He only averages 4.7 assists per game, but the North Carolina native is a skilled playmaker that knows how to leverage both his shooting gravity and his driving game to open up passing lanes.

"Because of my ability to score the ball my passing and my reads get overshadowed I guess...LaMelo Makes the crazy passes, like when I played with Josh Giddey he makes those crazy passes, I wouldn't say I make a lot of those, I just feel like I make the right reads," said White in his first media availability in Charlotte.

Both Charles Lee and Jeff Peterson called Coby White an “underrated passer.”

In his first media availability in Charlotte, I asked him what he thought about the commentary from his new bosses. pic.twitter.com/ab04XNoJwp
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) February 10, 2026

"If I get two on me and I get off the ball? I've done my job....If I get in the paint and I get them (the defense) to collapse, I always make the right kick outs. Every time I get the ball I try to gain an advantage, whether that's scoring or drawing defenders."

The Bulls' team-wide effective field goal percentage increased by three points when White was on the floor, and his Chicago teammates shot 1.6% better on three-pointers with their playmaking guard in the lineup; a testament to his slick combination of shooting touch, driving acumen, and passing chops.

White doesn't come without flaws He's a sieve on defense and for all of his skill as a playmaker, he's prone to turnovers (something that Charlotte already struggles with), but the good should far outweigh the bad, and his teammates will feast off of his ability to set them up in their preferred spots on offense.

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