Celtics guard Derrick White is a vital piece to the championship puzzle that Boston is trying to build this season.Boston Celtics guard Derrick White Derrick White’s winning impact is often overlooked as a standout player, not just in the NBA, but even for the Boston Celtics. White has emerged as one of Boston’s most impactful players on both ends of the floor. White shines as an elite two-way player for the Celtics who can guard multiple positions and takes some attention away from Boston’s All-Stars.When talking about the most impactful players in the NBA, Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, or LeBron James often headline the conversations. Franchise stars or MVP-type talent often dominate these conversations and get much of the sunshine.When one thinks about how the Boston Celtics have separated themselves from the rest of the NBA this season, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s All-Star level play would likely be the top-of-mind answer. Some may even point to the acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the offseason for elevating the Celtics to a tier of their own in the NBA.Derrick White is one player who often gets lost in the shuffle in these kinds of conversations — both across the league and even with his own team.Talks about the league’s most underrated player are where White’s name usually pops up first. His teammate Jaylen Brown said it himself during All-Star Weekend when he was asked to name the most underrated player in the NBA.“I think Derrick White has been excelling his game at a rapid pace, so it’s been kind of hard for fans to keep up with. Derrick White can ball, man. You let him get hot, he can go for 30 any night. He can score the ball, guards, plays both sides. I’mma say Derrick White.” – Jaylen BrownBrown couldn’t have explained White’s winning impact more eloquently. But as mentioned, the unheralded two-way guard doesn’t really get much love for how valuable he has been to Boston’s success this season.Derrick White’s Emergence in BostonWhite is a vital piece of what the Celtics are buildingDerrick White guarding Jalen BrunsonWhen White arrived in Boston via trade two years ago, he was initially a reserve guard who came off the bench behind Smart. The Celtics elevated him to the starting five last season, and he has since eased into that Swiss Army knife role that Celtics fans have grown to love. And this season, the 29-year-old has taken his play up another notch.Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown get most of the spotlight for leading this epic Celtics campaign so far. But White has flown under the radar as arguably the Celtics’ most vital piece that connects everything in their championship puzzle.White has been the beneficiary of an increased role with the departures of former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon last summer. Smart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the deal that landed Porzingis in Bean Town, while Brogdon was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Holiday.With the Celtics losing a couple of key backcourt players from last year, White has seen an uptick in playmaking duties this season. His usage rate increased from 17.7 to 18.9 this year and his pick-and-roll frequency as a ballhandler went up from 23.5 to 27.6.Derrick White Stats ComparisonCategory2023-242022-23PPG15.612.4RPG4.43.6APG5.23.9SPG1.00.7BPG1.20.9EFG%58.3%56.0%USG18.9%17.7%White may not be the kind of player to be the No. 1 option on a title team, and he may never become that. But what makes the 6-foot-4 guard valuable is his ability to adapt and impact the game in a multitude of ways.He can score and get hot when the need arises and he does so efficiently as well. He can run the point and alleviate some of the playmaking duties from Boston’s two elite wing scorers. On the other end, White can lock up the opposing team’s best perimeter player and provide energy and hustle plays that win basketball games. He has firmly established himself as one of the best all-around defenders in the NBA, earning All-Defensive Second Team honors last season.Derrick White’s Impact On Both Sides of the FloorIs he the best role player in the NBA?Celtics guard Derrick White dribblingDerrick White has provided the Celtics with an invaluable impact on both sides of the floor. Offensively, he has given Boston an efficient and productive scoring boost, averaging 15.6 points on 46.7 percent field goal shooting and 40.1 three-point shooting. He is also the team’s top playmaker as he leads the Celtics in assists with 5.2 dimes per game. He thrives whether he creates on his own or spots up for catch-and-shoot opportunities from beyond the arc.Defensively, White has an unparalleled impact from the guard position. The 6-foot-4 guard is second on the team in both steals and blocks per game and is also second in defensive win shares. The counting stats don’t tell the entire story, however. Celtics fans who watch him on a nightly basis witness his terrific defensive instincts, whether he’s playing on the ball or providing help defense. Likewise, he anticipates passing lanes well and has great hands when going for steals.Most importantly, he is an incredible shot blocker from the guard position — the best in the league, in fact. White is nowhere near a high leaper, and he doesn’t have great length, either; his wingspan is 6-foot-7. Still, White is able to get to shots mainly due to his terrific timing.Derrick White On/Off Stats (via Cleaning the Glass)On CourtPossessionsORTGDRTGNRTGWith Derrick White4,624123.9110.3+13.6Without Jayson Tatum1,265124.1110.0+14.1Without Jaylen Brown1,036125.6106.3+19.2Without Tatum and Brown258119.8103.4+16.3White’s impact isn’t only reflected within the Celtics, but it is also felt across the entire NBA. He is one of 10 players who have appeared in at least 60 games to average at least one steal and one block this season. He and Chicago Bulls defensive stalwart Alex Caruso are the only two guards in that exclusive group. He is 15th in the league in total blocks. Likewise, his 1.2 blocks a night leads the NBA among guards and is 17th overall across the entire league.He leads the league in total plus-minus at +644. He is also among the top players in the NBA in Estimated Plus-Minus, which essentially estimates a player’s impact while eliminating garbage time or other random things that may happen while a player is on the court, like a hot hand or a cold streak.At the 97th percentile, White is right in the ballpark with the likes of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Damian Lillard. Likewise, he is one of six players who are in the 90th percentile in both offensive and defensive EPM, which further demonstrates his elite two-way impact for the Celtics.No other role player in the NBA is more valuable to their team than White is for the Celtics. If Boston raises banner No. 18 later this June, Derrick White will be a huge reason why.Boston Celtics PlayoffsRELATEDRanked: Which Boston Celtics Have the Most to Prove in the NBA Playoffs?GMS Weekly: Your Ticket To A Whole New Ball Game.Email AddressBy subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Born and raised in the Philippines, Mike Cruz is a Toronto-based sportswriter who graduated from Centennial College’s Sports Journalism program. Mike has been in the industry for over five years and has published over 3,000 articles in his career.Mike covers opinion topics on the NBA and has also written a handful of news articles for ClutchPoints. He has been with the Los Angeles-based sports media company since 2018.Mike also co-hosts an NBA podcast called “The Positionless Podcast,” where he and his buddies dive into the hottest NBA topics on a weekly basis.
