Boston Celtics: 3 C’s that will make-or-break team’s championship potential

Last season, the Boston Celtics saw their first quarterfinals exit in five years, as they were downed in just five games by their divisional rivals, the Brooklyn Nets.

This time around, the shamrocks are looking for redemption, as they have their sights set on one goal: hoisting banner No. 18 into the rafters of TD Garden.

By the looks of how things are currently going for the ball club, it would appear that they actually have quite a solid chance of accomplishing this luxurious objective come the conclusion of 2021-22.

Through 81 games played, Boston finds itself boasting a stellar record of 50-31, good enough for the third-best mark in the Eastern Conference standings and, over their last games 40 games, they’ve managed to rattle off a stellar 30 wins, thus having them swing into this year’s postseason with an unbelievable amount of momentum.

At full strength and when fully in synch, this Celtics team truly looks to be a legitimate title contender for the 2022 Larry O’Brien Trophy, and, if all goes right, they could be taking it back to eastern Massachusetts later this spring.

Now, while the bulk of attention may be on the likes of franchise cornerstones Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown when it comes to players who will serve as the driving forces in any potential championship push, there are several other individuals found on the roster that could prove to have just as big of an impact on the team’s aspirations as the aforementioned star wings and, of this bunch, we at HH believe there are 3, in specific, that will make-or-break Boston’s championship potential:

Boston Celtics player No. 1) Derrick White

All things considered, Derrick White has the makings of being the perfect sixth man option and backcourt compliment alongside Marcus Smart for the Boston Celtics.

With his defensive instincts, high basketball IQ, and impressive distribution skills the 27-year-old is seemingly a fantastic fit for this gritty two-way C’s squad, and, just in the near two months that he’s been in Boston, the guard has already worked his way into becoming an integral part of the team’s rotation.

It is because of his lucrative involvement within Ime Udoka’s scheme that we feel that the fifth-year veteran should certainly be viewed as a make-or-break player for the Celtics.

Through 25-games played with the ball club, White finds himself being heavily utilized in a number of areas, particularly in the scoring department where he ranks fourth in both field-goal attempts (9.0) and 3-point attempts (4.3).

Unfortunately, however, despite putting up so many shots, we see the former Spur placing within the bottom two in conversion percentage out of those who have logged more than 600 minutes on the year.

Even with all of his positive attributes, considering his type of volume, this success rate is far from being a recipe for success in the long run.

As of late, it’s appeared as though Derrick White has managed to find his shooting stroke, and, in turn, is boasting solid averages of 13.2 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.3 rebounds on 45.5 percent shooting from the field and 43.9 percent shooting from deep whilst playing a major role in the team’s 7-3 record during this stretch which, by all accounts, is a sign of positive progressions.

If he can keep this level of play and efficiency up in the postseason, the Celtics will assuredly be a much more challenging opponent on both sides of the floor.