Derrick White helped the Boston Celtics finish second in the Eastern Conference with a 56-26 record, despite expectations of a bridge year and limited availability of Jayson Tatum. White earned his first-career NBA All-Defensive First Team nod after recording career highs of 98 blocks and 88 steals. He led all guards with 552 contested shots and averaged 1.3 blocks per game. He produced at least one steal and one block in 37 of 77 games, also leading all guards. Boston’s defense allowed 7.4 fewer points per 100 possessions with White on the floor. Offensively, he set career bests in points per game and assists, while shooting struggled in the postseason.
"Guard Derrick White certainly aided in Boston's regular-season success. He had himself a year to remember on the defensive end of the court, which earned him his first-career NBA All-Defensive First Team nod with 58 votes, the NBA announced Friday. White, who stands at 6-foot-4, recorded a career-high 98 blocks and 88 steals. He was the fourth Celtic in franchise history to record those numbers and the first to record 75-plus blocks and 75-plus steals since Kevin Garnett."
"The 31-year-old led all guards with 552 contested shots and 1.3 blocks per game. He notched 37 games out of 77 total with at least one steal and one block, which also led all guards. Boston's defense was 7.4 points per 100 possessions better with White on the floor, which nicely encapsulates the player's impact on the team since being traded to Boston in 2022."
"White is just the 11th Celtic to be named to an All-Defensive First Team. He was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2022-23 and 2023-24. White had a mixed bag offensively all season, but he recorded career bests in points per game (16.5) and assists (5.4). He also recorded 4.4 rebounds per game."
"He notably came up short from the field in the postseason (32.1 percent) and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla lauded White's ability and talent when asked about his shooting slump after Game 3 against Philly. "Anybody that ever doubts D-White, they don't really care about winning," Mazzulla said on April 25 ( via MassLive)."
Read at Boston.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]