Our sister site of HoopsHype did not want to be left out of #RankingSeason so late in the NBA’s 2023 offseason, and thus put out a new iteration of their annual player position rankings, naturally starting off with point guards. Freshly-minted Boston Celtics starting floor general Derrick White made the cut, clocking in at No. 21 overall in author Frank Urbina’s estimation.
“White has been a hugely important piece for the … Celtics since joining the team ahead of the 2021-22 trade deadline, providing Boston with elite defense and solid scoring as a slasher and pull-up midrange attacker,” observes Urbina.
Buy Celtics Tickets“White will have an even bigger role with the Celtics in 2023-24 following the surprising departure of Marcus Smart, who just missed the cut for a place in this ranking,” adds the H/H analyst.
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Even so, Urbina expects “the former Colorado standout to handle his new workload well, as he can provide the Celtics with similar point-stopping to Smart while being more efficient on offense.”
“In fact, White’s impressive 2023 playoff performance, including his game-winning buzzer-beater in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, was probably part of why Boston felt comfortable trading Smart in the first place.”
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