As the Boston Celtics traveled back to TD Garden for Game 5 of their second-round series against the Knicks, things were looking bleak.
Already down three games to one, Boston had just lost Jayson Tatum to a devastating Achilles injury, putting him out for the rest of the playoffs and more than likely all of next season.
Without their best player, it was looking like the Knicks would walk out of Boston’s own building with a gentleman’s sweep.
Then the Derrick White game happened.
Derrick White is A Playoff Riser
34 points, seven made threes, and three blocks from White helped Boston to dominate the Knicks and extend the series to at least one more game.
https://twitter.com/PlayoffKiyoka/status/1923080066746962289
And while the Celtics would lose Game 6 in blowout fashion, that shouldn’t take anything away from White’s contributions in the series.
White’s Game 5 is just one of the iconic moments he’s had since he joined the Celtics at the 2022 trade deadline. His tip-in against Miami in Game 6 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals is another iconic moment for White that helped etch his name into Celtics history.
With the uncertainty of when Tatum will return and the Celtics’ contention window closing due to salary concerns, it’s unclear how long White will remain in Boston. But if anything’s for certain, it’s that despite not being a superstar player, White has already cemented himself as a Celtic great.
The Glue Guy
The Colorado native has seen improvement every year he’s been with Boston, and this season was no exception.
The sniper from beyond-the-arc knocked down a career high 265 three-pointers during the regular season while maintaining excellent levels of efficiency (38.4%).
While the statistics can show pure facts, the eye test confirms what the stats already show. White possesses one of the quickest releases in the league. He could be 25 or 35 feet away from the basket. If it’s an open shot, he’s letting that three-ball fly, and there’s a good chance it’s swishing in.
But what might be even more impressive is his two-way ability. White finished the season with an astonishing 80 blocks, the most in the NBA by a guard. Through six games against the Knicks this postseason, White has already swatted the ball away eight times.
White carries the burden that every non-superstar player in the league has. As long as Tatum and Brown are on the floor, White will never be the first option on offense. Despite this, he always stays fully engaged at the highest level on the floor, waiting for his opportunity.
He does it all, from defending at a high level and crashing the boards to making the right pass for a better shot. White has all the tangibles of a winning basketball player.
For a team that has the most championships in NBA history, it takes greatness to be immortalized as a Celtics legend. He may not be the star of the team, but time and time again when he dawns a Celtic uniform, Derrick White has shown his greatness.
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