With training camp less than a month away, things are feeling much different for the Boston Celtics than they were at this point last year. Several new faces have replaced the familiar ones who found new homes over the summer.
There’s no way to get around it, Boston will miss Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford in the 2025-26 season.
The change puts a different mood around the team for the fanbase, but the players have remained optimistic heading into the upcoming year.
Derrick White called the offseason “tough,” but emphasized his excitement about getting to play with his new teammates, during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Liam McKeone.
“Yeah, I mean, that is the tough part about the business, White explained. “But it is a business at the end of the day. Jrue, KP, Luke (Kornet), all of them, it was definitely tough to see them leave. You wish we could play with them forever, but this is kind of the way it is. I always wish them the best. There will be a lot of fun when we see them again. and I’m just excited to play with the people we do have.”
Boston’s summer additions weren’t earth-shattering, but there’s upside to them for sure. Luka Garza and Josh Minott both lacked opportunity with the Minnesota Timberwolves and will almost certainly get some with the Cs. Chris Boucher should be a solid utility big man. Plus, the four rookies should see some spot minutes, here and there.
Derrick White and other returning Celtics have a great opportunity ahead
Returning role players like Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, and Baylor Scheierman will be faced with real opportunities to prove they belong in a championship rotation as well. Guys like White, Jaylen Brown, and Payton Pritchard are in a similar spot, but their challenge is more about taking on added responsibility without Jayson Tatum, who is sidelined with a ruptured Achilles.
Though Tatum’s absence isn’t fun for anyone, White and his teammates believe their commitment to improvement will help carry on Boston’s high-standards.
“I’m excited,” he continued. “It’s obviously a different year than last year, but I think we have the same expectations and standards. So I've been attacking this offseason as, ‘I gotta get better.’ It’s been really fun trying to get in the gym and improve on things that I need to work on. When we get back to Boston, it’ll be a lot of fun.”
There’s plenty of reason to believe White will thrive now that he’ll be forced more into the spotlight. He’s mostly served as a tertiary scorer for the Cs since joining the squad in February of 2022, but has still popped off for some big scoring nights along the way.
He’s poured in 30+ points in multiple playoff games and he and Pritchard even became the first duo in team history to score 40+ points in the same game back in March.
When it’s all said and done, White’s potential growth could be a serious silver lining in what’s been a bleak situation.