Derrick White has become invaluable to Boston
by Adam London | 3 hours ago | 2 min reading
Derrick White is turning heads this season, including among his own Celtics teammates.
White was outstanding in Boston's Christmas Day win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. The seventh-year pro contributed 18 points, along with a game-high 11 assists and a plus-16 rating, helping the Celtics finish their West Coast road trip on a high note.
One of those assists was a 3-point shot from Kristaps Porzingis, who scored a team-high 28 points. After Boston's 126-115 triumph, Porzingis saluted White but acknowledged him wasn't entirely familiar with his teammate's play before hitting the hardwood with the reliable guard.
“I didn’t know how good D-White was,” Porzingis told reporters in a video shared by NBC Sports Boston. “He’s a little bit under the radar. But man, he's special. The way he plays – I don't know, he always makes the right play over 90 percent of the time. This is the perfect teammate you want. In addition, he shoots excellent odds and is extremely efficient. Yeah, he’s special, man.”
This could prove to be the last season that White stays under the radar. The 29-year-old is building a solid case for his first career All-Star selection and is also on track for All-Defensive First Team selection.
About the author
Adam London