At the start of the season, not many people gave the Boston Celtics any chance, but now in January, they have shown massive upside. They are the second-best team in the East behind the Detroit Pistons, while also owning the second-best offense and the second-best net rating in the NBA, 40 games into the season. One of the primary reasons for their rise as an offensive powerhouse has to be the exponential growth of Derrick White.

The former Spurs player has developed himself into an elite-level three-point shooter, and in Jayson Tatum’s absence, he has seized every opportunity that has come his way this season. However, White’s long-range shooting wasn’t always this good. He credits Draymond Green for changing his career.

“When I think about the finals, I told Draymond this like so Game 1 I hit like six threes and then he went on his podcast and was like ‘Yeah, I mean Derrick hit six threes but that’s not going to beat us’ and I was like damn, I had it in my mind I was like I know what he was talking about,” Derrick White said in the recent episode of the White Noise podcast with rapper Symba.

“In the long run, it didn’t beat them, so that was a real motivating thing for me to get in the gym, to get my shot more consistent, so nobody guards me or treats me like that,” White further added.

It all started in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals, where the Celtics started with a win, 120-108 over the Warriors, and White came off the bench to score 21 points, draining six threes. However, following the defeat, Draymond Green wasn’t much bothered about the loss nor with White’s six threes. He felt that it was a one-off game, and he was mostly right.

However, White took it as motivation and trained so hard that nobody now leaves him open.

“So that was a big turning point for my career, like I know going in they’re not gonna guard me and I couldn’t make them pay. Now I feel like you can’t do that. I told Draymond after we won the Olympics in France. I was like, ‘You kind of changed my career.’ It kind of gave me that motivation that whole summer, I was like, I gotta be better,” White added.

While the Celtics eventually suffered a painful 4-2 defeat in the finals, it did hand them a player who turned into a star for the franchise. He was shooting 31.2% from beyond the arc in the 2021-22 season, and it instantly shot up 38.1% in the 2022-23 season and 39.6% in the 2023-24 season, respectively, making him a proper three-point menace. Now no one dares to leave him unguarded.

Derrick White has evolved into a star from being a role player for the Celtics

Derrick White arrived at TD Garden at the 2021-22 season’s trade deadline as a role player from the San Antonio Spurs, and since then, his transformation has been one for the ages. He has developed into a star in his own right for the Celtics, delivering consistent performances on both ends of the court.

White played a major role in helping the Cs raise their 18th banner in 2024 and has only grown from strength to strength under Joe Mazzulla.

While most of the limelight falls on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, White has been one of the most dependable role players for the Celtics. However, his performances over the years make him nothing less than a star for the franchise. “I think there’s a big gap between star and role player, and there’s not really a middle ground,” White said.

“I just try to do anything. Some games, I might be just a role player; some games, I might need to score 30. Some people, they are like role players; you’re not gonna ask them to get 30. So I want to be someone who can do a little bit of everything.”

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He played a major role in the 2024 Championship run and resumed that role this season in Tatum’s absence due to a torn Achilles. He has helped the Celtics maintain their position as one of the top teams in the East despite having a shorthanded roster. He has featured in 39 games this season, averaging 18.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks at slightly above 34 minutes on the court per contest. He has shot 32.8% from beyond the arc and 88.8 from the free-throw line.

Among guards, he is leading the league this season with 60 blocked shots. His defensive work has not gone unnoticed, as the Celtics star is running for the Defensive Player of the Year award. While he may not end up winning it, it is still a testament to his commitment that goes a long way and makes the Celtics a team to beat.