Any time a player is joining a historic list that includes Kevin Garnett, you know they’ve done something special, and that’s exactly the case as Derrick White has become the first Celtic to record 75+ steals and 75+ blocks in a season since KG back in 2007-08.
In just 65 games played so far, White has recorded 75 steals and 93 blocks, both already career highs. He still has 14 games left of the regular season to add to his final tallies and enter some truly historical context, but he’s already proven that he is one of the best defenders in the league, regardless of position or size.
Garnett came to the Celtics via trade in 2007 and immediately helped transform the team into a contender and an elite defensive outlet. He reset the culture and helped build the kind of organizational structure that still exists today.
White and Garnett may not be the most similar players on the surface, as they went about things very differently and presented contrasting sentiments. White, of course, is also a smaller guard, while KG was a conventional power forward, who would now likely be a stretch big man.
D-White is much more than a guard
White is constantly referred to as an elite defender “for a guard”, but that’s a narrative that we must change. He’s so much more than that, and this stat proves that he transcends his position and provides elite defensive impact compared to any player in the league.
Smaller defenders are usually known for locking in and guarding their yard on the perimeter. While Derrick obviously does this, but it’s everything else he brings to the table that sets him apart; directing traffic, switching 1-5, rotating to block off cutters and passing lanes, and operating as a truly elite rim protector on par with the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, and the rest of the best defensive centers in the league.
We’ve never really seen anything like this in the NBA, a player who’s just 6’4” and 190 pounds, but is able to anchor an elite defense and actually deter opposing teams from scoring at the rim.
But that’s what Derrick brings to the table, and despite different approaches, D-White and KG are a lot more similar than they seem. Both players did it all on the defensive end and almost single-handedly made that unit elite.
So, while Derrick may not be going on profanity-laden tirades a la Kevin Garnett, he’s doing a lot of the same things on the basketball court, setting the tone for his teammates, and leading by example, ensuring the Celtics will be among the league’s best defenses as long as he’s on the court.