Derrick White is the perfect Team USA player and this should be the next step
By Jack Simone
Every iteration of Team USA will need a LeBron James or Kevin Durant. The guy willing to step up and take the big shots. The guy who will have the ball in his hands when it matters. Anthony Edwards played that role during the FIBA World Cup in 2023, and he and Jayson Tatum could have a chance to play that role after the current hierarchy retires.
But the entire roster cannot be populated with that type of player. Perhaps that’s the reason Jaylen Brown didn’t make the cut. It could be why Tatum was benched in Team USA’s Olympic debut. Why Joel Embiid didn’t play against South Sudan.
Team USA needs Derrick Whites, not more stars
The reality is that there are only so many touches to go around. And for players who are used to constantly having the ball in their hands, it’s not easy to adjust to a new role.
White doesn’t have that problem.
On the 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, White was one of the best players. But he wasn’t the focal point. In fact, he was almost the opposite.
Every once in a while, he would have an offensive explosion (like his 38-point masterclass against the Miami Heat in Round 1), but he made his money away from the ball.
White is one of the best catch-and-shoot three-point shooters in the league, but he’s also capable of creating for himself. He thrives as a connector but can also handle the ball and make plays for others. His on-ball defense is elite, but he’s even better as an off-ball floater, scouring for blocks.
It’s that versatility that makes him such a perfect fit with Team USA. He’s a space station amongst the stars, freely floating around, doing whatever the team needs him to do. And he’s perfectly happy with that role.
“It makes it easy for me and Jrue,” White said. “We just try to go out there and do what we do and try to help us impact winning whenever we can. I know we’ve got a lot of talented guys on the team.”
Filling up the roster with ball-dominant headliners only makes sense for the purpose of publicity. At the end of the day, Team USA is in Paris to win basketball games, and having a guy like White on the roster helps them do just that.
That’s why this should be their obvious next step.