Celtics’ Derrick White Labeled Top 5 Player In NBA By Opposing Head Coach initially appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a (*5*).
Ahead of Sunday’s Eastern Conference conflict at Rocket Arena, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson labeled Boston Celtics guard Derrick White a high 5 participant within the NBA. The reward got here throughout pregame media availability for the March 8 matchup between the 39-24 Cavs and the 42-21 Celtics, framing the competition as a showcase for one of many league’s most full guards.
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White entered the NBA because the twenty ninth general decide by the San Antonio Spurs within the 2017 draft. After constructing a basis there, he joined the Celtics by way of commerce in 2022 and shortly turned a cornerstone of their backcourt. His two-way reliability helped Boston safe an NBA championship in 2024, whereas his shot-blocking from the perimeter and flexibility has earned a number of All-Defensive staff alternatives. Now in his ninth season and age-31 marketing campaign, White has advanced into a gentle chief who stitches lineups along with sensible choices and low turnover charges.
The 2025-26 season has seen White shoulder extra duty amid roster changes and accidents, together with Jayson Tatum’s Achilles rupture.
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Through 61 video games—all begins—White is posting 17.4 factors, 5.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per recreation whereas changing 90.4 p.c of his free throws. His protection reached new heights in February, when he captured Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month honors for the primary time. Recent outings mirror his type: 20 factors, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, two steals, and two blocks in opposition to the Mavericks on Friday, plus a 29-point night time earlier within the week in opposition to the Hornets.
Atkinson’s feedback arrive because the Celtics push by the season’s closing stretch and the Cavs proceed their very own aggressive push.
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