Following the trade of Marcus Smart, the Boston Celtics will be expecting Derrick White to step into the starting point guard role. Last season, White was arguably the best guard on the roster and has earned his opportunity to be a part of the team’s starting five. However, White won’t just be expected to provide on-ball creation and secondary scoring; he will also need to produce on the defensive end.
Replacing Smart will come with some significant pressure. While the former Celtics guard was never an All-Star, he was a Defensive Player of the Year and a vital cog in the locker room dynamics. White doesn’t need to try and be the player Smart is; he needs to sustain the high level of play we saw from him to end the season.
Buy Celtics TicketsStill, no player should want to stand still. There is always room to improve your game and take things to another level. With that being said, today we will be looking at three goals White can work toward in the latest edition of Celtics Wire’s mini-series.
Embrace a bigger role
White has been a starter for most of his time with the Celtics. Last season, the veteran guard started 70 of the 82 regular-season games he played for the franchise and 16 of the 20 playoff games he participated in. Being part of Boston’s starting five won’t be anything new for White. Yet, the increased role he’s likely to have may take some getting used to.
White will now be one of the primary playmakers on the Celtics roster. He will be asked to run more pick-and-roll, push the pace, and create for himself when the defense is shutting down the star forwards and bigs around him. The former San Antonio Spurs guard is more than capable of excelling in his new role.
Sustain the shooting improvements
A big part of White’s improved performances last season was due to his success when shooting from 3-point range. The 6-foot-4 guard took 5.5 shots from deep per game and converted them at a 45.5% clip, making him one of the better snipers in the league.
Expecting that level of shooting success in the upcoming season may be unfair. Yet, if the Celtics are going to be genuine contenders, they need all of their best players to produce at a high level.
Keep protecting the rim
Another aspect of White’s game that came to the fore last season was his ability to protect the rim with chase-down blocks. White doesn’t possess the size, length, or explosiveness that some of his teammates have, but he was able to become a legitimate defensive force around the rim through sheer force of will.
The veteran guard totalled 76 blocks during the regular season — a career high, and added to that during the playoffs with a further 20 swats. If White can make his shot-blocking a core part of his defensive game, he will give the Celtics another dimension to their defense and have opposing players second guessing whether they’ve created enough shooting space.
