A lot went right for the Celtics last year during the regular season, as just about every single player on the team outperformed expectations. I’d include Derrick White on that list, considering he made first-team All-Defense and had a very positive overall impact on the team whenever he was on the floor.
Still, it’s impossible to ignore his woeful shooting from last season, when his jump shot fell off a cliff, and he was unable to score the ball efficiently from anywhere on the court. For the season, he shot just 39.4% from the field and 32.7% from three-point range. That field goal percentage was by far the lowest of his career, and the three was way down from his career average and everything he has done since joining the Celtics.
For those reasons, there was a lot of optimism that last season was a blip on the radar, that he had some bad luck, that he was thrust into a bigger role with Jayson Tatum being out and all of the other offseason departures, and that he simply wasn’t getting the same shot diet he had become used to.
White's shot looks good to start the season
Through two games of the new regular season, it seems like that optimism may have been well founded, as White has gotten off to a rock-solid start. He has made 12-24 (50%) from the floor, including 5-13 (38.5%) from three, and more than anything else, he looks good and comfortable.
He looks like Derrick White. The player that Boston fans have come to know and love, and rely on to hit big shots when he’s open. That’s what we’ve seen so far, and granted, it’s a very small sample size, but it’s a massive step in the right direction.
It’s hard to overstate how much it would open up the offense if White is able to get his shot back. He was such a reliable shooter over the last few seasons, and someone who seemed to perform even better in crunch time. We waited all last season for him to break out of his funk, but it simply never happened.
Now, Tatum is back, Paul George is flanking him, and the balance has shifted back in a way that allows White to thrive in his role. So far, that’s exactly what we’re seeing, and White seems to be right back to his old self, which is a sight for sore eyes for the Celtics and their fans.
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