Derrick White joined the Boston Celtics via a Feb. 10, 2022, trade. Brad Stevens flipped Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford to the San Antonio Spurs, bringing back White in return.
Since then, White has slowly established himself as a key component in Boston’s roster. He’s an NBA champion. And, he’s one of the best glue-guys in the entire NBA. Yet, for all of the improvements in White’s game since joining the Celtics, it’s his three-point shooting that is the most impressive.
Prior to joining the Celtics, White was shooting the three-ball at a 34% clip and was taking just 3.7 attempts per night. Since putting on a Celtics jersey, White’s three-point percentage has risen to 38.7% on 6.8 attempts per game.
During a recent interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org, White credited head coach Joe Mazzulla for his improvements when shooting the ball.
“He just gives us confidence,” White said. “We’ve all had coaches where they’re like, ‘I don’t know if you want to shoot that.’ Joe always gives us the confidence to take shots. He believes in us, so when your head coach believes in you so much, you just got to let the next one fly, even if you missed the last one. That’s a big thing and he’s just always empowering us to be our best selves.”
White will once again be an integral part of Boston’s rotation as they look to challenge for a second-straight championship.
Derrick White Calls for Focus From Celtics
During a separate interview with Siddiqi, published on Forbes.com, White emphasized the importance of the Celtics staying focused on the task at hand. The veteran guard knows the pitfalls of looking to far forward, especially when facing a young and hungry team like the Orlando Magic.
“It all starts Sunday,” White said. “We can’t look past anybody. We know that Orlando is a team that’s hungry, young and energetic, and they play really hard. You got to just do whatever it takes to win four games. That’s really what our mindset is.”
The Celtics will face the Orlando Magic in the opening round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The opening game of that series will be on Sunday, April 20.
White Expecting Magic to Raise Their Game
During the same interview with Siddiqi, White opened up about how the Celtics have navigated that side of the game.
“Everybody – it’s like their biggest game, – no matter where they are in the season or what’s going on with their season so far,” White said. “If they beat the Celtics, the season just got so much better. That was probably the most challenging (part). The best part about it, you want to get everybody’s best shot and see what kind of team you are. It made us a better team and I’m excited for the playoff run.”
Fortunately for the Celtics, that tough road they navigated throughout the regular season has likely put them in a strong position to contend for another championship. The path to that title will begin with Orlando, who will undoubtedly raise their game. Still, the Celtics are experienced and talented enough to deal with whatever the Magic can throw at them on either side of the floor.
