Derrick White shrugged after Joe Mazzulla endorsed him for the All Star Game.
“He’s my coach, that’s what he’s supposed to say, right?” White said to reporters in LA. “I’m just trying to win games. That’s what I’m focusing on right now. Just do whatever I can to help us win.”
He did that again after Jayson Tatum and the Celtics hit an offensive skid midway through their Christmas Day game against the Lakers. Tatum started 2-for-7 with four assists in the first half, only able to generate a 58-57 lead through two quarters, before LA held him without a shot attempt for nearly eight minutes to begin the third. Mazzulla called timeout with the Lakers back within four after falling behind nine, and the play went through Derrick White. White hit Tatum on the roll, backing down Austin Reaves, and he finished at the rim for the first of White’s five assists that closed a 126-115 Celtics win. Boston’s 11th victory over its last 13 games.
White scored 18 points with 11 assists on 8-for-13 shooting in another showing that’s raised the guard’s national profile to the point where he’ll receive all-star hype, if not an appearance. It’s a rare feat centers like White’s teammate Al Horford (5x) pulled off more routinely than guards. Jrue Holiday made his second last season as Milwaukee’s second option with Khris Middleton hobbled, only Holiday’s second career appearance. White’s Spurs teammate Dejounte Murray made the game as injury replacement in 2022 — perhaps White’s best path.
The Celtics began their campaign for the fan voting portion of the selection process in recent weeks by pitching Boston’s starting lineup together. The Celtics improved to 15-1 when White, Holiday, Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziņģis play — that group now outscoring opponents by 19.6 points per 100. They generated 141 points per 100 on offense against LA’s bigger, defensive starting lineup in a game where Boston shot only 31% from three. Mazzulla touted the offense needing to get into its actions and spacing faster, as it did in runaway victories over the Kings and Clippers. That happened early, going ahead 12-0, before LA won the second quarter, 34-26.
Some of that stemmed from White’s absence in big bench lineups, joining Horford and Porziņģis for two minutes before Neemias Queta replaced Porziņģis and White exited. He returned with the lead down to eight, only taking two shots with 0 assists to close the second quarter. The Celtics only outscore opponents by 2.9 points per 100 with White off the floor, the worst split on the team due to a team-low 115.3 offensive rating. White leads the Celtics with a +14.5 net rating among their regular contributors.
That alone won’t swing the heads of voters and coaches, who select reserves, but winning could, along with White experiencing a statistical boost in a year of sacrifice. He’s averaging 16.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on 49.5% shooting (42.4% 3PT). That’s 19th among guards in scoring, 27th in assists, tied for 16th in steals and aside from Scottie Barnes, is the league leader in blocks. With Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson and Damian Lillard primed to compete for the starting back court spots, determined 50% by fan voting, the coaches will have to appreciate how White’s statistic and impact profile stacks up among them and other popular guards like Trae Young and LaMelo Ball.
Ball has missed 12 games, Young is putting up big stats on a bad Hawks team and Darius Garland just underwent surgery on his jaw that’ll cost him roughly one month. That opens the door to the opportunity Brown, Holiday and Haliburton received last year with most of the league’s star guards playing in the west. Especially if more injuries allow for additional reserve spots.
If Haliburton and Lillard start this time, and Maxey and Brunson also appearing like relative locks, White would have to beat out Young, Mitchell and swing position players like Barnes. That seems unlikely, particularly if Brown emerges to represent the Celtics as a guard. He shouldn’t as a forward for Boston, but could as the team’s second-leading scorer. Jimmy Butler, Mikal Bridges and DeMar DeRozan also qualify along those lines.
Only Haliburton surpasses White in box plus-minus (+5.9) among the aforementioned players. White is tied for 15th in win shares and 43rd in NBA player efficiency rating. Only Duncan Robinson rivals White’s 61.5 EFG%. White’s raw stats in December would make a stronger case, 20.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.6 SPG and 1.5 BPG while shooting 52% FG (45.5% 3PT) would make a stronger case. Especially since Brown, Haliburton, DeRozan and Holiday all approached, if not surpassed 20.0 PPG among the all-star bench cast last year. It might come down to scoring.
The Celtics have benefited when White looks for his shot, something Tatum has emphasized as often as anyone, while Mazzulla has noted that Boston thrives when allowing White to make plays. White rode his third quarter dish to Tatum to a drive-and-kick to Horford, a corner three from Tatum and a block on Reaves. Brown and Holiday helped maintain Boston’s 13-point lead between the third and fourth quarters, then White returned for the final eight minutes to score or assist on five of the Celtics’ next six baskets.
Mazzulla began the year saying Tatum would rather win than win MVP, Brown and Tatum emphasized All-Defense more than All-NBA and while White might fall short of the All Star Game, he’s proven worthy to his teammates and coaches who now constantly empower him. That wasn’t the case last season, when Mazzulla often deferred to Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon in starting lineups, which the rookie coach admitted regretting.
Still, Tatum could’ve helped his teammate’s case by not dodging the guard’s pass as the shot clock expired with both teams walking off the floor, drawing a second turnover on White, who raised his hands in confusion over the move. That won’t cost White his case to go to Indiana. If others having greater star-power does, the Celtics will benefit from exclusively having his services on a team that’s on pace to join some of the greatest in franchise history.
“I didn’t realize how good D.White was,” Porzingis said in LA. “He’s kind of under the radar a little bit, but man, he’s special. The way he plays, how 90%+ of the time, he makes the right play all the time. That’s the perfect teammate you want, and on top of that, he’s shooting great percentages and being super efficient. He’s special.”
