Derrick White all through his Boston Celtics tenure has made a plethora of big-time performs on either side of the court docket. I might think about him one of the crucial dependable gamers. He’s a participant I don’t fear about if he misses his first eight photographs, as a result of when he must make one, he’ll.
After we traded Marcus Good to the Memphis Grizzlies to convey Kristaps Porzingis in, it damage not as a result of I don’t like KP, however as a result of what Good introduced was one thing I wasn’t positive was replicable. What I liked most about Good was his mentality to by no means give up on a play, even when there’s a 1% probability of him getting a free ball or a block. He would go all out for it and make some unimaginable performs. I’ve the identical feeling about White now. It in all probability dates again to his game-winner in Recreation 6 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs in opposition to the Warmth, however now it looks as if he makes one or two big-time performs to get us again right into a sport, kill momentum, or ice the sport.
A number of gamers are afraid to get dunked on, particularly on the planet right now the place clips go up immediately on social media. Effectively, Derrick White bought posterized by Dereck Energetic II, however it didn’t part him and he saved going and when it mattered most. With Dallas creeping again within the sport late, White got here out of nowhere to contest PJ Washington on the rim and bought the block to protect the lead.
After the sport White was requested about his “relentlessness” going for blocks and his “conceitedness” in doing so and White responded with, “that’s why I bought dunked on earlier.”
White’s not afraid to get dunked on and he’s all the time simply attempting to make a play.
“It’s a part of the sport [getting dunked on], [it’s about] not being afraid to get dunked on. It permits me to get some that possibly somebody wouldn’t have gotten,” White stated. “I’m simply attempting to make a play, consider in my talents and what I can do.”
“Derrick has been All-Defensive all season lengthy… Derrick White sprints again, I see they’ve a bonus, I dash again and we had been in a position to make a play there,” Jaylen Brown stated. “These are the kinds of performs that aid you win video games. It was simply effort, that’s what it comes all the way down to.”
Joe Mazzulla praised White for his capability to do no matter is required.
“I believe it comes again to he’s not outlined by one factor, he’s just a bit little bit of every thing. He can deal with in pick-and-roll, he can rating in pick-and-roll, he can keep spaced. He’s not outlined by scoring,” Mazzulla stated. “… He’s one other man that’s selfless and needs to impression the sport in any method he can.”
It’s not simply on protection the place he makes an impression. On offense, he finds a option to hit photographs that he has no enterprise making. They’re the kind of photographs the place opponents really feel dejected as a result of he simply bailed out the crew. With the shot clock operating down, White hoisted a deep three from and buried it to offer Boston its double-digit lead again after an amazing defensive collection from the Mavs.
He gained’t lead the crew in scoring each night time. Some video games, he’ll have a poor taking pictures night time, however when it issues most and he will get a possibility, he’s going to take it.
