Chicago Bulls: 3 takeaways from new starters versus Toronto Raptors

Head coach Billy Donovan took a new route in the starting lineup and brought White and Carter off the bench. This season, White has averaged 33 minutes per game and Carter has averaged 26 minutes per game. Against the Raptors, White played 27 minutes and Carter played 19.

They both had extremely solid performances with limited playing time. White scored 13 points, four rebounds, five assists, and one block and one steal. White also managed to come away with an enormous +24 plus/minus from the game. The minimal time allowed White to beat up on the Raptors’ second rotation, and he did just that.

Carter had an excellent game, and it showed with the camera displaying Carter’s ear-to-ear grin after making all of his first three field goals of the game. Carter finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and one assist, making four of his nine shot attempts. Carter played more relaxed, and certainly more aggressive in the paint.

This lineup change was an excellent move in many ways for Donovan, and we will continue to discuss that. Most importantly, however, White and Carter both embraced their roles off the bench and took advantage of playing alongside Otto Porter Jr. and Denzel Valentine, who each scored in double figures. The bench ended with a whopping 47 points.