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Derrick White looks like a great fit in Celtics debut: 5 takeaways from Celtics vs. Nuggets
White and the Celtics ground out a win against the Nuggets
Hours before the Celtics took on the Nuggets on Friday, Brad Stevens extolled the virtues of Derrick White — the team’s newest acquisition at the trade deadline.
Stevens went through a long list: White’s hard-nosed play, shot-blocking, commitment to and impact on winning, activity, and more. He noted that the first time he saw White in person was years ago when White piqued the Celtics’ interest with the Team USA’s select squad.
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“We felt really fortunate to be able to get a guy like that on a long contract that we think is a perfect fit for our best players,” Stevens said.
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Later Friday evening, in the first quarter of the Celtics’ 108-102 win over the Nuggets, White checked in for the first time in a Celtics uniform to a hearty ovation. Many fans stood and applauded — a reception White later told reporters gave him “goosebumps.”
White wasted no time introducing himself. He led a fast break and lobbed a well-placed pass to a streaking Jaylen Brown for a layup. He spaced to the corner and hit a 3-pointer when Payton Pritchard made the extra pass. He drove and kicked to Jayson Tatum, then cleared out to give Tatum an outlet. Tatum drove and kicked back out to White, and White buried another three.
By the time the first half came to a close, White had eight points, two assists, and a lot of buzz.
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“He did what he’s done, what I’ve seen him do in the past,” Ime Udoka said. “Very smart player that does a lot of things very well. We don’t miss a beat with him out there.”
The buzz built into the second half. White played the final five minutes of the third period, then stayed in the game for all of the fourth.
The closing lineup — Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and White — delivered on all of its promise. The Nuggets couldn’t get a clean look offensively and turned the ball over repeatedly. The Celtics got enough offense to pull away, including one of the best possessions of the season.
“I came in early and kind of just went through the different plays,” White said after the game. “Some stuff I was familiar with and I just tried to learn the terminology and everything like that. I still got a long ways to go, but we’ll be good.”
Since taking over as president of basketball operations, Stevens has emphasized the team’s desire to find pieces that fit perfectly around Tatum and Brown. He might have found a perfect complementary piece in White.
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“Just try to make their lives easier, space the floor, create and make plays, compete defensively,” White said. “Lately they’ve been pretty special at the defensive end, so I just wanted to come in and not mess that up and try to help them out on that end as well. So just try to do a little bit of everything and play my game, and I think I’ll help the team.”
More takeaways
2. What are the first 24-48 hours like after you get traded at the deadline?
Hectic, to say the least. The Spurs were in Atlanta, and White said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich came to his hotel room to tell him he was traded.
“I was pretty shocked,” White said.
White had to get on a flight, get to Boston and undergo a physical with no real guarantee that he would play Friday — his availability was dependent on the trade becoming official, which required Celtics players to clear their physicals in San Antonio as well. They did so about an hour before the game, setting the stage for White’s baptism by fire.
White admitted the last two days have been difficult after being dealt from the organization that brought him into the NBA and developed his game. Still, the ovation helped.
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“I’m really appreciative of all the love that [the fans] showed me,” White said. ” … I was a little nervous, but I was extremely thankful for the ovation that I got.”
3. As if Celtics fans need more positive vibes after Friday’s game, White said that while he grew up cheering for the Nuggets, his father — who is from Boston — is a “die-hard” fan of the Red Sox and Celtics, most notably Jo Jo White. Derrick White said his father was “pretty excited” when he found out his son would be playing for the Celtics.
“I always heard stories about it growing up, so it’s pretty cool to be playing out here now,” White said.
4. The Celtics — led in particular by Robert Williams late in the game — defended Nikola Jokic really well. On one crucial play down the stretch, Jokic bodied Williams toward the basket and tried to turn over his left shoulder, but Williams stayed in front and bothered the shot away. A minute later, Jokic tried to overpower Williams again, and Williams forced him into a tough fading hook shot. In the final minute, Jokic attempted a 3-pointer the Nuggets badly needed, but Williams — who is perhaps the only person in the NBA who could realistically recover and challenge a Jokic 3-pointer — flew out and helped force him into a miss that hit only backboard.
“Obviously, he’s a great player, makes my defense better,” Williams said. “He’s just one of those players when you think you cut him off or you think you stopped something, he pulls another trick out of the hat. Difficult guarding him, but we had a great team effort tonight.”
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Williams praised his teammates for their communication, and with good reason — Jokic was hounded by Celtics guards and wings throughout the game. Marcus Smart stole the ball from him three times in the first quarter alone, and Jokic finished with nine turnovers total.
5. On the first play of the game, Marcus Smart hit the deck diving for a loose ball and forced a turnover.
Smart’s hustle — which is almost an afterthought for Celtics fans at this point — was not lost on White, who noted Smart diving on the floor to reporters.
“His whole career, he’s shown he’s one of the top defensive players in the league,” White said. “I’m excited to play alongside him and just see how he gets after it.”
Smart was asked about the potential of a defensive unit with himself and White.
“You got me and him, two of the best defensive players in this league,” Smart said. “This team, we can do things with lineups where over the past couple of years for us, we’ve been kind of picked on a couple of guys because of our size. Not now. I could come off the floor and put him on and you have another defensive guy that is going to keep that momentum going on that end.
“And on the offensive end, you can play us together and make things really, really hard for other teams. That’s the beauty of having Derrick here: It takes a lot of pressure off of me, Jaylen, Jayson, Rob, and the rest of the team, especially when things aren’t going well. It’s just another guy that can keep going for it.”
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6. In the fourth quarter, Smart and Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo got into a minor altercation. Campazzo bumped Smart, then crowded him as he tried to get into position to set a screen for Tatum. As Campazzo was whistled for a foul, Smart appeared to push Campazzo’s face. Campazzo dressed up the contact and hit the deck, but even Smart after the game admitted he expected to be whistled for a technical.
Instead, official Zach Zarba called it “nothing,” saying Smart made a “natural basketball play.”
Smart told reporters he respected Campazzo’s attempt.
“It’s part of the game,” Smart said. “Flopping is trying to exaggerate a call to get a call for you. Everybody does it, and if anybody says not everybody does it in this league, they’re lying. At some point in your career, you’re doing it. At some point in the game, you’re doing it. It’s a smart play. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”
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