Derrick White sat down in the TD Garden media room and answered questions with a smile after the Boston Celtics’ dismantling of the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
“It felt good,” he said of his efficient 20-point performance against the Grizzlies. “I’m just going out there and trying to be me and try not to think too much about everything. I’m just trying to have fun while I play the game I love.”
White’s postgame presser was a complete 180 compared to the energy he had the last time he sat in front of all of us at TD Garden after a disappointing loss to the Utah Jazz, nine days prior.
That night, White felt the frustrations that accompanied his lingering shooting slump after managing just 10 points in 33 minutes.
He wasn’t any different in the thoughtfulness of his answers or how he treated the media, but he wasn’t shy about how disappointed he was in himself and his play to start the season.
“I thought I was s----y today, honestly,” White explained last week.
The loss dropped the Celtics to 3-5 on the season, below their internal expectations, even with the new-look roster.
White underperformed to that point, too. Through eight appearances, he only averaged 14.4 points per game while shooting just 31.1% from the field and 26.3% from beyond the arc. That certainly wasn’t the sort of start he would’ve had in mind heading into this season, considering he was due for a larger offensive workload with Jayson Tatum recovering from a torn Achilles.
Derrick White's defense has spearheaded his offensive resurgence
To snap out of the funk and regain his basketball joy, White needed to re-establish his identity on the court. Head coach Joe Mazzulla reminded him, and Payton Pritchard also started cold this year, that they’re capable of contributing to winning, regardless if their shot is falling.
“There’s many different ways to impact winning — and you just gotta try to find that each and every game,” White said of Mazzulla’s messaging during the team’s trip to Orlando over the weekend.
Since the Utah loss, White has done exactly that. Over these past five games, he’s averaged 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, combining for a whopping 3.4 “stocks.” Even without the stats, it’s easy to see the difference in how White’s been carrying himself over the past week. He’s played with a chaotic energy on defense, which his stats reflect.
Wednesday was no different, as White tallied a combined three stocks vs. Memphis.
“He has an important job for us and a lot of responsibility,” Mazzulla praised. “I think he’s like top of the league in steals and blocks. He takes on different roles every night. He’ll just continue to do whatever it takes to help us win.”
The way White embraced his role over the past week or so, reminding himself why he’s special to the Celtics, has paid dividends on offense, too.
His scoring average has shot up to 17.4 points per game, with his efficiency doing the same. It’s not quite back to the level it’s been in years past, but it’s getting there.
More importantly, White has regained his confidence. Boston played back-to-back close games, winning Sunday in Orlando and losing Tuesday in Philadelphia. White made massive shots in both games.
He sank a three to extend the Celtics’ lead over the Magic to four with under a minute to play, then cut the 76ers’ lead to one with a deep catch-and-shoot triple. The latter was actually more impressive than the shot that came in Sunday’s win.
White had just missed an open corner three with the same chance to trim the Sixers’ lead a possession earlier. His lack of hesitation on the second, more difficult, attempt spoke volumes about how far his confidence has come in such a short span.
If he’d been faced with the same opportunity a week sooner, he might have looked to get a better shot.
“I was frustrated, obviously,” White explained Wednesday. “Especially, like, when you think you’re getting good looks that you should knock down, it’s definitely frustrating. Everybody’s stuck by me. I still have a long way to go. Just because I shot it well today doesn’t mean anything.”
It might not mean anything to White right now, but this week’s sample size is a step in the right direction for sure. For now, at least he seems to have his smile back.