On a recent episode of the "White Noise Podcast," Derrick White shared a change he believed was necessary. It was an adjustment that has greatly benefited his career.
"Why I changed my technique was I'd have really hot days, I go through stretches where I'd shoot really well, and then I'd also have days where I wasn't," White told co-host Alex Welsh. "It's hard to roll that roller coaster, especially as a role player, like you're getting 10 shots."
It's not just the lack of shots; it's also the lack of touches. Even for White, a guard, as a role player, especially earlier in his career with the San Antonio Spurs, he could go multiple possessions without touching the ball. That can be enough to impact a player's rhythm or hinder building on it after a made shot.
Star players have it easier in more ways than one
As White notes, the best players on a team have earned the right to shoot their way into a rhythm. They can do so with a diet that includes field goal attempts that not everyone has carte blanche to take.
"At the time, I was getting 10 shots, so I had to make five. If I make four, you're a 40 percent shooter," voiced White. "That's not good, but the tough part about being a role player is that you're limited to at most 10 shots. The stars can work their way; they can miss the first 10 shots."
It's also worth noting that those individuals -- the Jayson Tatum's and Jaylen Brown's of the world -- are encouraged to stay aggressive for the good of the team. If their approach changes, the group becomes easier to guard.
But players at the top of the food chain also don't have to worry about short shifts or limited minutes. They can even get their teammates going and let the game come to them. Those individuals have their own responsibilities, pressures, and challenges to worry about. However, that is a perk of being a go-to option.
As for White, since his second season in the Association, he has averaged at least 24.7 minutes per game every year of his career. However, it is common to see a sharpshooter who must prove themselves despite limited minutes.
Coming in cold, knowing the length of your shift probably hinges on cashing in when the ball arrives, is a difficult pressure to block out. Even if you do, you're still responsible for getting yourself in a good enough rhythm to take advantage of that opportunity. By no means is it an easy feat.
White became effective in his role. He then had the wherewithal to recognize he still needed to become more efficient. As challenging as it must be to get to that level and continue ascending, it was a necessary evolution that has helped him develop into arguably the NBA's best role player.