Defense Is Just Part Of What Makes Derrick White Great
Derrick White and Jrue Holiday anchored the best defensive backcourt in the NBA last season, helping the Boston Celtics raise their elusive 18th championship banner. After some time off, White’s Celtics teammates Holiday and Jayson Tatum were soon back in action. Training camp in Las Vegas for the United States men's basketball team had begun in early July.
He was a top replacement candidate for Team USA, but White thought that his services would not be needed this summer. Instead, he was planning a family vacation following his NBA Finals run in Boston. After receiving a call asking him to replace Kawhi Leonard and help capture a gold medal in France, White canceled his summer vacation and was off to Abu Dhabi.
“I’m supposed to be in Cabo right now,” he said upon arriving. “But it’s better to be here.”
Derrick White is getting to showcase on the international level what a complete player he is. He made 2nd team All-Defense for the second consecutive year in Boston and has grown tremendously as a player since his arrival from San Antonio in 2022. White had career highs in 3-point percentage (39.6%) and assists (5.2 per game) in 2023-24 for the Celtics. He averaged 1.2 blocks and a steal per game as well.
White provides elite perimeter defense for Team USA as well as playmaking and the ability to space the floor on offense. He and fellow Celtic Jrue Holiday could each make a case for the best role player in the NBA. White's scoring, defense, and intangibles to make the right play on offense make him an incredible utility fit on any roster.
"We definitely feed off each other, especially defensively. The way that he defends sometimes, I'm amazed," said Celtics and Team USA teammate Jrue Holiday.
The Intangibles
Derrick White is an amazing offensive player for many reasons. He was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in 2017 and learned the ways of legendary coach Gregg Popovich for more than four seasons. Ball movement and quick decisions on offense were drilled into White from early on in his career.
“I’m always thankful for Pop. Every time I see him, I tell him I love him and that I’m thankful,” White said on "The Old Man & The Three With JJ Redick and Tommy Alter".
One of Derrick's elite skills that not every star player in the NBA commits to consistently is making a split-second decision on what to do with the ball in his hands. Rarely will you ever see White holding the ball for too long. Off the catch, White is deciding to launch a pull-up three-pointer or to drive by his defender in an instant.
He can efficiently run the pick-and-roll for an offense, able to finish in the paint with layups and floaters or dish an alley-oop to the rolling big man. Bam Adebayo has benefitted from many connections between himself and White so far with Team USA in that role.
Derrick just always seems to make the right play. He always plays at his own pace, looking to take what the defense gives him or find the open man. On a squad like Team USA that is filled with future Hall-Of-Famers, White is the perfect complement to any lineup out there.
“I just want to go out there and do what I do, try to fill any holes we might have,” White said.
Three-Level Scorer
Derrick White has grown tremendously as a player since his arrival in Boston. Once he first got to the team, Celtics players and staff urged White to be aggressive on offense. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla doubled and tripled down this past season on his philosophy to let the threes fly on offense, and Derrick benefitted from always having the green light from his coach.
"Tatum and Brown have always said, 'Hey, you've got to keep shooting. We're at our best when you're out there being aggressive.' When he first got to the team, he was kind of starstruck," said Derrick's father, longtime Celtics fan Richard White. "All of a sudden, we're playing games into May and June, which he didn't do in San Antonio. Expectations in Boston are high. It's championship or bust."
While most of his shots come from deep, White is a three-level scorer. He can navigate his way into the paint for layups and floaters, as well as hit the occasional elbow jump shot.
One of White's highlights of the playoffs came in the first round against the Miami Heat when he had two emphatic dunks as he cut down the center of the lane. He even managed to posterize his now-Olympic teammate Bam Adebayo, one of the premier shot blockers in the game. The beauty of White's offensive arsenal is that there isn't just one thing you have to worry about. He puts pressure on defenses with his drives, outside shooting, and kickouts to teammates.
White averaged 15.2 points a season ago for the Celtics and was extremely efficient in his role. He was one of the league's top shooters, knocking down 2.7 threes per game (21st in NBA), and was capable of exploding on offense on any given night for Boston.
Seven times during the 2023-24 regular season White scored 25+ points for Boston. He upped his scoring to 16.7 points per game in the playoffs, highlighted by a 38-point game four against Miami when he hit eight 3-pointers. He gives his team what they need, and that versatility has proven key for both the Celtics and Team USA so far in their quest for a gold medal.
Elite Defense
Simply put, Derrick White is one of the best shot-blocking guards in the world. He has impeccable timing as he swats away anything around the rim. Once an offensive player has him beat, the job is not done until the ball is in the basket. White can recover from a blow-by and block a player from behind as he never gives up on a play.
"I feel like on defense I've done some crazy stuff, but D-White is amazing on defense," Holiday added of White.
He can switch and defend positions 1-4 comfortably and holds his own against some bigs as well. When a big man has him one-on-one in the paint and tries to muscle through him, White is elite at swiping at the ball for the steal.
After an All-Defensive team each of his last two seasons in Boston, White has emerged even more so far with his performances in Paris for Team USA. Even though he may not have the highest counting stats on the team, White has his fingerprints all over the game. His blocks and steals are momentum killers for opponents and at the same time help his teammates get out and running on the fastbreak.
White has the ability to slide over toward a teammate to help out on a drive and then still recover to his own man to contest a shot. He has an incredibly high basketball IQ and always seems to be in the right position on the court.
"He's just a little bit of everything. He can handle a pick-and-roll. He can score in pick-and-role. He can stay spaced. He's not defined by scoring." said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. "He's had blocks on bigs. So he's just another guy that's selfless and wants to impact the game in any way that he can, and it looks different every night."
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