Philadelphia -- Even when he's not shooting the ball well, Derrick White makes winning plays. He has helped Tyrese Maxey require 22.2 shots to average 25.6 points in this rivalry clash between the Celtics and Sixers. Another example occurred in crunch time of Game 3, when the ninth-year guard swooped in for a pair of offensive rebounds. In both instances, they led to points that helped swing the outcome, including a dagger 3 from Jayson Tatum.
"Can't let one aspect get in the way of the other ones," stated White after Thursday's shootaround at Xfinity Mobile Arena. "There's a lot of stuff that I can do to help impact the game, and that's what I gotta do."
His comments are 100% correct. To this point in the playoffs, he has helped Boston gain a 3-2 series edge. In the regular season, his shooting struggles weren't an insurmountable obstacle either. He shot under 40 percent from the field and converted on 32.7 percent of the 8.3 attempts he hoisted from beyond the arc. That didn't stop him from contributing to a 56-win team that earned the second seed in the East.
White still stuffed the stat sheet. He averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals. He played at a level worthy of a spot on the NBA's All-Defensive First Team. His overall impact prompted Cleveland Cavaliers' head coach Kenny Atkinson to declare him a top-five player in the league from his perspective.
Still, the Celtics need White to recapture his shooting rhythm
That may be necessary to land the knockout blow against the 76ers. It is essential to the franchise's hopes of a lengthy playoff run.
As he combats the frustrations that stem from not seeing the ball tickle the twine as often as he's accustomed to, the message he's telling himself is to "stay confident, be aggressive when I can, and obviously just do things that I've done all year to help us win games."
There's also his approach. There's joy to White's game. It's not just emptying a pocket full of 3s when he knocks down a shot from beyond the arc. He wears his practice penny like a cape, participates in trick-shot competitions with the coaching staff, and brings levity to the work environment. He isn't just a core member of one of the most successful stretches of Celtics' basketball, which includes raising a championship banner to the TD Garden rafters. He exemplifies what a franchise that places a premium on its culture looks for from those brought into the organization.
Perhaps that joy and levity are a more productive solution to his shooting slump than placing even more pressure on himself to snap out of it.
I asked Derrick White about the pressure he’s putting on himself and if applying the levity and joy he’s known for playing with is the key to breaking out of his shooting slump.
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) April 30, 2026
“It’s easy to say, ‘Just go out there and have fun,’ but there’s a lot of different things that go… pic.twitter.com/rNvMVFEp8W
"It's easy to say, 'Just go out there and have fun,' but there's a lot of different things that go into it," said White. "And so, [I'm] definitely thankful for the teammates I have to keep me going and have my back, and it's up to me to go out there and play the way I know I can play."
If he does so on Thursday, there's a strong possibility Boston will punch its ticket to the second round of the playoffs. It could also signal that a lengthy playoff run is on the horizon.
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