The start of Derrick White’s tenure with the Boston Celtics began on the wrong foot. Some claimed the deal was a disaster, but the Colorado native has spent the better part of his second season with the Celtics making that take look ridiculous.
White played in all 82 games, the only Boston player to do so. He has become an invaluable member of the team’s starting unit. His team’s belief in his game elevating it to a borderline All-Star level at the end of the regular season into the playoffs on a team that already has two of them.
So far, in the postseason, White has continued his recent stretch of torrid play, putting up 24 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks in Game 1 of the Celtics’ series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Jaylen Brown is rocking a pair of green and black sneakers with a photo of Bill Russell for game one of the postseason. https://t.co/zuX0W4Yz4W
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 17, 2023
Watching White attack Atlanta’s Trae Young relentlessly until Hawks head coach Quin Snyder had to put arguably his best wing defender on him in Dejounte Murray made life a breeze for teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
More of the same may be the recipe for putting away a ball club already struggling to stop Boston’s twin star wings. And building White’s confidence in his current role will only make things easier for the Celtics moving forward.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
