The Boston Celtics have been phenomenal so far this season. Their exceptional performances haven’t taken anyone by surprise. However, Derrick White’s leap into borderline All-Star territory may have taken many by surprise. But, loyal fans of the Celtics have been privy to his incredible skills for some time now. Under the tutelage of Joe Mazzulla, White has become one of the best defenders in the league.

He has the ability to lock down the best opposing offensive players on a daily basis. However, that wasn’t always the case. In a recent interview, White credited DeMar DeRozan for having a transformative effect on his career.

DeRozan’s advice that transformed White’s approach

During an interview with JJ Redick, the veteran quizzed White about dealing with elite offensive players. To which he replied, “If I play good defense, and he hits a fadeaway jumper over me – I remember my first couple of years, I used to get discouraged and DeMar used to look at me and was like ‘these guys are good. I don’t know what to tell you.’ Ever since then, I am like they are good, they gonna make shots.” With this mentality, White was able to focus more on honing his skills in order to match up against these great players.

The San Antonio Spurs drafted Derrick White with the 29th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. In that era, the Spurs were still a perennial playoff contender and DeRozan was the star of the team. White remained with the Spurs until February 2022, at which point he was traded to the Celtics. Since joining Boston, White has emerged as one of the team’s most reliable contributors. This season, his contributions are finally getting recognized, as calls for an All-Star appearance are getting louder with each passing game.

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Does White deserve an All-Star spot?

Yes, he absolutely deserves a spot in the All-Star game. He has become essential to the way the Celtics play. He has become the Celtics’ best defender, and that’s some fear considering the fact that Jrue Holiday is his teammate. Apart from his defense, White is an exceptional 3-point shooter. This season, he has shot at a clip of 41.7% from beyond the arc.

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Derrick White has averaged 16.8 points, 5.2 assists and 4 rebounds per game this season. He has also made the first cut in the All-Star fan vote. He currently has the 8th most votes, with 175,940 fans voting for him.

What are your thoughts? Does he deserve an All-Star spot? Let us know in the comments below!

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