Derrick White Has ‘Mastered’ Personalized Routine To Push Celtics
Celtics guard Derrick White has been one of the hottest 3-point shooters throughout the NBA playoffs, but the mountain climb to reaching that point didn’t come overnight. It required tireless hours, patience, and a tailor-made regimen which fits in perfectly with Boston’s primary goal: Banner 18.
The Cavaliers received a first-hand look at White’s behind-the-scenes work coming to life in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. White scored 25 points, drained seven 3-pointers, and proved himself to be a ceiling-shattering version of what the 29-year-old was just a few years ago. It’s continued to leave an impression on Boston’s locker room, opposing players, and the TD Garden crowd that chanted, ‘Derrick White,’ in the third quarter of Tuesday night’s 120-95 Celtics victory.
“He’s the kind of guy that can impact the floor differently every night,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla explained after Game 1. “Whatever the game calls for he’s willing to do. He’s done that and we need him to continue to do that.”
White’s ascendance from being a second-unit rotation guard to a fringe All-Star candidate with a legitimate case has occurred before Boston’s eyes within the last three seasons. In 2022, when the Celtics acquired White from the Spurs — giving San Antonio Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, and a 2022 first-round draft pick — he wasn’t nearly as impactful.
When that season’s playoffs commenced, White became a 3-point liability, not a threat, shooting 31.3% on 3.6 attempts per night while averaging 8.5 points. Fast forward to last season’s playoff run; White delivered a buzzer-beater tip-in layup to defeat the Heat in Game 6 of the conference finals after Miami got ahead of Boston, 3-0, in the series.
Picking up right where he left off this go-around, White’s consistently been the backbone of Boston’s offense. His scalding-hot catch-and-shoot trigger, much like the miraculous layup in Miami, is a result of White’s devotion and unique approach to preparing for those scenarios — not sheer luck.
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“I see him on the side (during practice) always working on the type of shots that he knows he’s gonna get,” Jaylen Brown said postgame. “We got certain actions and those actions he’s mastered them. Like, where his shots come from so it’s almost like practice for him because he shoots those shots over and over again.”
Brown added: ‘Derrick White has grown. This is a new version that we haven’t seen before. He put the work in, his body has developed a little bit, he’s got some more playoff experience, and he’s being aggressive.”
During team practices, White works to perfect getting to the basket by having a lid placed over the rim, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Unusual to see, but evidently very effective in the long run.
While Kristaps Porzingis is working toward a return and Jayson Tatum uses Cleveland’s multi-defender attack to assist open teammates, White has been a postseason luxury. He’s shooting a team-leading 50% from three (28-of-56) and sits runner-up to Brown (24.3 points) for the scoring lead, too. None of the shots are forced or unnecessary, it’s simply a testament to A) White’s readiness and B) the roster Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens assembled in the offseason.
White’s most recent three-game stretch, in which he’s shot 20-of-37 (54%) from three, placed him in a very limited playoff record list. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jamal Murray are the only other players ever to hit 20 3-pointers within a three-game playoff span.
“(It) feels good,” White told reporters Tuesday night, per CLNS Media. “I just think the most important thing is just to win. Like I’ve said before, (it) doesn’t matter if I score zero or however many I scored today. When we win, then (we’re) doing enough.”
The Celtics, collectively, have done more than enough, riding the wave of a four-game winning streak in the playoffs — all wins by double digits. Boston walked over Miami in the first round, and sit three wins shy of kicking Cleveland to the elimination curb alongside the Heat.