COBY White

White appeared in 50 games for Charlotte last season. He averaged 17.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 25.0 minutes a night. He shot 44.6 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from three and 81.7 percent at the free-throw line. He added 0.5 steals and 0.1 blocks per game and turned the ball over 2.6 times a night. His plus-minus was 1.9. White scored that much without heavy minutes. At 6-5 and 210 pounds he has the size to play either guard spot, and he can score off the dribble or spot up. That is the production Charlotte will be missing while the calf heals. It is also the production the Hornets will want back as soon as the medical staff signs off.

Last season's advanced numbers explain why White matters so much to this offense. His usage rate was 28.3 percent, which made him a primary option every time he checked in. Plenty of guards who carry that kind of load lose efficiency. White did not. His true shooting percentage was 59.5, built on solid shooting from three and an 81.7 percent mark at the line. The cost was turnovers. He gave it away 2.6 times per game against 4.0 assists, which is the trade-off that comes with having the ball that often. For Charlotte, the question is not whether White can score. It is how many possessions the rest of the roster can handle while he is out, and how quickly he gets back to that role once he returns.

White closed last season playing shorter minutes but still scoring. In the final game on April 12, Charlotte beat the Knicks. He had 19 points in 16.3 minutes and finished +18.0. Two nights earlier, against Detroit, he scored 11 points in a loss and was -20.0. He scored 17 points in 19.6 minutes in a win over Minnesota. Against Phoenix he had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 20.3 minutes, another win. On March 31 against Brooklyn he scored 16 points with 5 assists in 21.1 minutes and was +11.0. The pattern was steady: double-digit scoring in every one of those games, even with his minutes trimmed late in the year. That is the version of White the Hornets hope to see once the calf allows it.

White is 26 and enters his 7th NBA season. He played his college ball at North Carolina and wears No. 3 for Charlotte. He was already a Hornet last season, so there is no adjustment period with a new team. The only thing standing between him and the floor is the left calf. The strain was reported on Oct. 5, per a report headlined "Hornets' Coby White Diagnosed With Left Calf Strain." He moved from day-to-day to out on Oct. 20, and the target date is Oct. 23. Fans should watch the injury report in the days after the opener. If his status moves back to day-to-day, a return is close. If it stays at out, the timeline is slipping. Until then, Charlotte has to find its scoring elsewhere.