Celtics' Derrick White Continues to be Among NBA's Most Underrated Talents
It appears that White's impact is being recognized by more than just Celtics fans.
Since joining the Boston Celtics via trade on February 10, 2022, Derrick White has slowly become a key contributor. Upon joining the Celtics, White was knocking down just 34% of his 3.7 three-point attempts each night. Now, he's draining 38.7% on 6.8 attempts.
He's also become a monster when defending the rim. In fact, he's arguably the best shot-blocking guard in the NBA – he ended the regular season with 80 swats, ranking third in the league. He was second in the NBA for blocks last season, ending the year with 87.
Somehow, White consistently finds the right angles and timing to swat away opposing shot attempts. Once you factor in his elite defense, playmaking, and just his overall glue-guy presence on Boston's roster, it's easy to see why he's such an integral member of the rotation.
It appears that White's impact is being recognized by more than just Celtics fans. In a recent poll by The Athletic, which canvassed a number of NBA players from around the league, White was voted the second-most underrated player in the NBA, receiving 7.4% of the total votes. Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons finished first.
Interestingly, White was also in the top two for the same category when The Athletic ran the same poll at this point last year.
"The Celtics’ Derrick White, who tied Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams for the “Underrated” win last year, is the only player in the 2024 top four to maintain that sort of standing here," Sam Amick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic wrote. "Given that his summer included an NBA title and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA, it makes sense that he’s considered less underrated than before (ditto for Williams, who was an All-Star for the first time this season and dropped to seventh)."
White is also growing into somewhat of a leader for the Celtics. During a recent interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org, the veteran ball-handler urged his teammates to focus on the task at hand, rather than looking ahead to a potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“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.”
White's journey to Boston wasn't the typical path of an NBA standout. After going unrecruited by Division I schools, he began his college career at Division II Colorado-Colorado Springs before transferring to Colorado for his senior year. The San Antonio Spurs selected him 29th overall in the 2017 draft, where he developed his defensive identity under Gregg Popovich before the Celtics acquired him in a trade that's now looking increasingly lopsided in Boston's favor. Remember, Brad Stevens parted with Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford as part of that deal.
As the Celtics embark on their title defense, White's two-way impact will be essential to their success - just as it was in Boston's opening win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday, April 20.
White's ability to space the floor on offense while providing elite perimeter and (shockingly) rim protection makes him the perfect complement to Boston's star-studded roster. While he may be shedding the "underrated" label as more fans and players recognize his contributions, White's selfless play and winning mentality embody exactly what made the Celtics champions last season – and what could help them hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy once again.
