By now, most basketball fans have realized how valuable Derrick White is, and at a certain point, people can’t just keep calling him underrated. But part of that problem is that it’s hard to quantify his impact. Sure, the advanced stats show him in a positive light, but he doesn’t put up big numbers, and his efficiency hasn’t been great this season.
He has never been an All-Star or made an All-NBA team, and he’ll never be an offensive hub that can power a team the way other stars around the league can. Playing a crucial role in the Celtics’ title run and the USA Olympic team has certainly helped boost his reputation, but still, it doesn’t feel like he’s properly appreciated.
One way that could change is for him to get over a hump in these last three regular-season games, as he has 98 blocks on the season, already the third most ever by any player 6’5” or shorter. With eight more blocks (a tough ask, especially considering he’ll probably sit out at least one of the final three games), he would match Dwyane Wade for most ever, and with just two, he’d be alone in second.
D-White can become first NBA player with 200+ threes and 100+ blocks
That seemingly reachable mark would give D-White a 100-block season, which would make him the second guard, along with D-Wade. And it would also make him the only player in league history to finish a season with 100+ blocks and 200+ three-pointers made. Not just guards. All players.
If Derrick White gets two blocks over the Celtics final three games, he will become the second player 6'5" or shorter to have 100 blocks in an NBA season since the stat became official during the 1973-74 season 👏
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) April 9, 2026
If White breaks the century mark, he'll be the only player in… pic.twitter.com/YJZEeSvDZM
This feels like a perfect stat for White to own, and it may be the perfect way to measure his diverse impact on both ends of the court. Obviously, it doesn’t come close to telling the full story, but standing alone in NBA history would be a very appropriate way to capture White’s legacy and for him to be properly appreciated by future generations.
It’s unlikely that he’ll reach the 106 blocks that Wade put up in the 2008-09 season to set the record for a ‘small’, but with Derrick, we shouldn’t rule anything out. Even if he sits out a game, he could get four blocks twice in a row to tie Wade, or maybe even four and five to pass him. It seems crazy, but at this point, we shouldn’t be surprised by anything Derrick is able to do.