Derrick White's emergence as the Celtics' third-best player was not forecasted
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White.
When the Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday last offseason, they became the only team in the NBA with five current or former All-Stars (including sixth man Al Horford).
That degree of star power was last assembled when Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, the Heatles played alongside Ray Allen or when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal partnered with Gary Payton and Karl Malone.
Amid all that star power, Derrick White has, to the surprise of many, emerged as Boston’s third-best player, leapfrogging Porzingis and Holiday in the hierarchy.
In the ongoing playoffs, White is torching defenses with 58/50/90 shooting splits while draining a league-high 4.7 threes a game.
Furthermore, as Boston’s best overall defender — both on the perimeter and at the rim — he has allowed coach Joe Mazzulla to persist with his switching defensive scheme without worrying about mismatches.
With his white-hot shooting, the guard has even etched his name in Celtic lore.
For perspective, White didn’t even crack ESPN’s top 100 players list before the start of the 2023-24 season. That’s how out-of-left-field and surprising his rise has been.
White has transitioned from a “Swiss army knife-type” role player to an All-Star-caliber player over the past year or so. The Celtics know they’ve got a great one in their midst.
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