This Celtics plan proves Derrick White is better defender than people realize

The Boston Celtics were thrown for a loop just minutes before they were set to tip-off against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. Already down Al Horford and Luke Kornet, Kristaps Porzingis was added to the injury report. Originally listed as doubtful, he was officially ruled out by half-time, and it was clear that they would have to play without their usual big men.

Boston started Torrey Craig at center, Neemias Queta quickly got into foul trouble, and Xavier Tillman didn’t see the floor. All of those factors combined meant that Joe Mazzulla had to get creative. And that creativity spawned one unique option…

Derrick White at the center position.

The Celtics just used Derrick White as a center vs. the Raptors

“I didn’t know KP wasn’t going to play until the introductions,” White said at Celtics shooaround on Friday afternoon. “And so, we were kind of just going with who was out there, who was available. And just trying to find different, fun ways to win. So, it was a little different than usual, but just got to find new ways to win.”

Obviously, White didn’t spend the night guarding traditional big men in the post. Luckily for the Celtics, Toronto was without Jakob Poeltl, leaving them without their usual center, too.

Instead, White spent much of his evening in the corner, playing the free safety roamer role that Robert Williams used to and that the Celtics use Porzingis in now.

“I think it just kind of happened randomly,” White said. “I’m kind of always around there. It wasn’t like– We were missing all our bigs, so someone had to big a shot-blocker. So, it kind of happened randomly those two plays.”

But there was nothing random about it.

White started the game guarding Immanuel Quickley at the point of attack. As the night progressed, he spent some time on Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett, too, but he began sticking to the corners more.

He guarded rookie Jonathan Mogbo, who is a non-shooter, a lot, and that’s the type of spot the Celtics like to put Porzingis in—guarding non-shooters so he can help in the paint.

Once the second half started, White was almost exclusively guarding the corners. He would even have his teammates switch off the ball so he could remain in that spot.

The pay-off came when he recorded two thunderous blocks by playing weak-side help defense from the corners—again, the same role the Celtics like to have Porzingis play.

It was an incredible display of defensive IQ and athleticism, and White’s prowess as a center only goes to show how unique a defender he truly is.