LOS ANGELES — Bulls guard Coby White has to find the counter to the counter.
His first priority is to get healthy, then he can chase down his second.
White has been dealing with an injury to his right ankle, and coach Billy Donovan pulled him from the game Sunday against the Trail Blazers.
‘‘He didn’t ask to come out; I took him out,’’ Donovan said before the Bulls’ game Monday against the Clippers. ‘‘I did not get a timeline on it. It didn’t sound like it would be anything too severe, but I don’t know about the rest of the trip.’’
Even when White returns from the setback, however, there’s some growth he must make in his game that not only will benefit the Bulls but also can move him up in the NBA pecking order.
Donovan said White no longer is sneaking up on anyone. He’s high on opposing teams’ scouting reports, and he’s getting bigger and better defenders thrown at him than he was when he broke out last season.
That’s definitely a nice show of respect, but it’s one White must respond to. In Donovan’s opinion, that starts with White embracing life without the ball in his hands.
Last season, White was considered the Bulls’ primary point guard. This season, Josh Giddey was brought in to handle those duties. White also has to share ballhandling and playmaking with Zach LaVine.
‘‘I think last year for him, the stamina and endurance, what was on him physically, he learned a lot from that,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘The next thing is, because he’s a guy that’s been targeted — he’s up on most teams’ scouting board on what they’re going to do in terms of defending him — I think he’s got to do more off the ball.
‘‘What I mean by that is it’s not necessarily that the ball doesn’t need to be in his hands. When he’s off the ball and there’s actions taking place, drives taking place, [he has to start] moving into windows and open areas. Because where he’s been really elite is causing close-outs, and I think there’s opportunities for him to create more of that.
‘‘Sometimes when the ball is in your hands like it is, he’s seeing a lot more crowds, he’s seeing bigger defenders on him. It’s probably not as easy for him to get into the paint when he’s got a live, stationary dribble [and] everyone is looking at him.’’
White’s numbers are down a bit from last season. But given his drop in minutes because of all the guards Donovan has been playing, that was expected.
He has been better defensively, however, so that’s something he can take pride in.
Now it’s about understanding the spacing as a shooting guard, which might be White’s immediate future if he stays with the Bulls. Giddey will be a restricted free agent after the season, but every sign from the front office indicates it is committed to re-signing him. That means White might want to get used to life off the ball.
‘‘I think that’s a real area of growth for him, and he’s aware of it,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘He’s gotten better at it, but I do think there’s a lot more to be gained for him in terms of what he’s facing defensively.’’
Back on the shelf
Guard Ayo Dosunmu recently missed 10 games with a strained right calf. And while the Bulls insisted he didn’t reinjure the leg, he was held out against the Clippers because of soreness.
‘‘He is experiencing some soreness after the density of games, so they’re just going to be overly cautious because that’s something he’s been dealing with,’’ Donovan said.