How ‘new’ Derrick White is reshaping the Celtics’ offense

Klay Thompson, Jamal Murray, Stephen Curry.

Those are the only other NBA players who’ve replicated the incredible postseason tear Derrick White has been on of late.

On Tuesday, White became just the fourth player in NBA playoff history to make 20 total 3-pointers over a three-game span. He drilled seven on 12 attempts, as the Celtics blew past the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-95 at TD Garden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

White was similarly lethal in his previous two outings, going 8-for-15 from deep in Game 4 against the Miami Heat and 5-for-10 in the Game 5 clincher, contests the C’s both won by double digits.

Fans expect those types of performances from a 3-point maestro like Curry. But not from White, who had never been known as an elite sharpshooter.

“Derrick White has grown,” teammate Jaylen Brown said. “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. And we urge him to do that. We’re going to need that more and more down the line.”

Remember the 2022 postseason, White’s first as a Celtic after his trade from San Antonio? His shooting was woeful during Boston’s run to the NBA Finals (36.4% overall, 31.3% from 3), and he was a non-factor from beyond the arc.

In 23 playoff games that year, White made a total of 26 triples. He’s already at 28 this postseason, firing away as frequently and effectively as the league’s top snipers.

Even during the regular season — White’s best to date — he ranked 29th in made 3-pointers per game, 27th in 3-point attempts and 48th in 3-point shooting percentage (39.6%).

Callahan: Celtics send message overcoming Jayson Tatum Game 1 clunker to crush Cavaliers

So far in these playoffs, only Damian Lillard has more made threes per game than White’s 4.7, and only Lillard and Luka Doncic have attempted more than White’s 9.3. White’s 50% success rate on those shots ranks third, and the two players ahead of him (Miami’s Delon Wright and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns) both average fewer than five attempts per game.

Before his current hot streak, White had never made five or more 3s in three consecutive NBA games, regular or postseason.

“I think I’m getting pretty good looks,” said White, who finished with 25 points Tuesday night. “Then obviously you make a couple, basket’s a little bit bigger. Then you can kind of take and make tougher ones. I think I definitely started the game with good looks and just went from there.”

White’s star turn from 3-point range has added yet another weapon to a Celtics offense that led the NBA in points per 100 possessions during the regular season.

Consider this: Jayson Tatum — a two-time All-NBA first-teamer and Boston’s leading scorer in each of the last five seasons — ranks third on the team in points per game so far this postseason, trailing Brown and White. Tatum had an off night offensively in Game 1 against the Cavs (18 points on 19 shots), and the Celtics still won easily, leading by double-digits for the entire second half.

Related Articles

Boston Celtics |


Luke Kornet gives Celtics ‘tremendous’ lift off bench in Game 1 blowout of Cavs

Boston Celtics |


Callahan: Celtics send message overcoming Jayson Tatum Game 1 clunker to crush Cavaliers

Boston Celtics |


Cavaliers C Jarrett Allen (ribs) ruled out for Game 1 against Celtics

Boston Celtics |


Motivated Jayson Tatum got his wish in Celtics’ first-round triumph over Heat

Boston Celtics |


Celtics finish Heat in Game 5 blowout, advance to second round

“I love the way he’s playing on both ends of the floor,” Tatum said of White. “It’s just putting a lot of pressure on the defense, (Tuesday) and last series. We’ve just got a lot of different ways to win a game, and I would assume that it’s tough for the other team to try to figure that out.”

The Celtics also have not slowed since losing 20-point-per-game big man Kristaps Porzingis to a calf strain, winning by 34 and 25 in their two games without him.

“(White is) the kind of guy that can impact the game differently every night,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Whatever the game calls for, he’s willing to do, and he’s done it. And we need him to continue to do that.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous post Natixis Advisors L.P. Has $11.76 Million Stake in Datadog, Inc. (NASDAQ:DDOG)
Next post Drowning in debt: The paralysis at the heart of the US fiscal crisis