Kristaps Porzingis: Derrick White is the ‘perfect teammate’

Kristaps Porzingis: Derrick White is the ‘perfect teammate’

The Boston Celtics have been the NBA’s top squad through the first 30 games of the 2023-24 NBA season. They own the NBA’s best record at 24-6–most recently fending off the lowly Detroit Pistons, who have now lost an NBA-record 28 consecutive games–with the league’s fourth-best offense, third-best defense and second-best NET Rating.

Outside of star talents Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are getting valiant efforts from recent additions Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Though perhaps Boston’s biggest unsung hero has been Derrick White, who’s long been one of the NBA’s most underrated two-way guards prior to this season.

Porzingis raved about White after the Celtics’ Christmas Day win over the Los Angeles Lakers, where White posted an 18-point, 11-assist double-double on 8-of-13 shooting and 2-of-4 from the 3-point line.

“I didn’t realize how good D-White was. He’s kinda under-the-radar a little bit,” Porzingis told reporters after Monday’s Christmas Day win over the Los Angeles Lakers. “Man, he’s special. The way he plays, how 90-plus percent of the time he makes the right play, and that’s the perfect teammate you want.

“On top of that, he’s shooting great percentages and being super efficient. He’s special, and I’m happy I have both of those guys on my team, Jrue (Holiday) and D-White.”

Kristaps Porzingis: "I didn't realize how good D-White was… he makes the right play all the time & that's the perfect teammate" pic.twitter.com/hqFOgf8OZU

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 26, 2023

Entering Thursday, White was averaging career bests in scoring (16.6 ppg), rebounding (3.9 rpg), assists (5.2), steals (1.2 spg), blocks (1.3), field goal percentage (49.5), 3-point percentage (42.4), player efficiency rating (19.3), true shooting percentage (66.0) and effective field goal percentage (61.9).

He may not be the centerpiece, but he’s invaluable to their structure–especially defensively despite playing alongside Holiday, one of the best guard defenders in the sport, plus Brown, Tatum and Porzingis, three above-average defenders.

There’s a world where he could garner All-Star consideration, but we have to remember that it is essentially a popularity contest, which may not work in White’s favor.

Nevertheless, whether you examine it statistically or watch Boston on a nightly basis, it’s difficult to quantify White’s sheer on-court impact. He’ll block your shot from behind one possession followed by draining a spot up 3, then fly into the passing lanes for a steal before taking the rock to the rack and finishing over a player a half-foot taller than him. He does almost every little thing any coach would crave on a basketball court.

His teammates–like Porzingis–recognize that night-to-night impact. By all accounts, White’s a genuinely good person who’s humble and perfects his role, which is important for any and every player on a title-contending team.

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