Derrick White explains what makes the 2023-24 Celtics different from past teams
“There’s a lot of little things that we talk about each day and it’s not really on the stat sheet, it just helps us win.”
The 2023-24 Celtics are on pace to do something that Boston fans haven’t seen since the 2008 season.
With a 43-12 record at the NBA All-Star break, the C’s need to go 23-8 down the stretch in order to match the franchise’s 66-win record set by the 2007-08 squad.
Posting the best record in the league and leading the Cavaliers by six-games for the top spot in the East, Derrick White says the team’s success can be attributed to multiple things.
“Joe [Mazzulla]’s been great, just trying to instill that basketball joy we talk about all the time,” White said on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” Tuesday. “When we’re moving the ball, when we’re all having fun, we’re having that joy, we’re a really good team.”
While Mazzulla stepped into the head coaching role last February following Ime Udoka’s suspension, this is his first full season in the position. White also credited Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, two key players who the Celtics traded for during the offseason.
“Adding KP and Jrue just gave us so many different options. There’s so many different ways we can win games now,” White said.
The Celtics boast the top offense in the league, holding a 120.8 percent offensive rating, according to the NBA. However, one of their biggest keys to their success has nothing to do with statistics. White says that players have subscribed to the idea that winning sometimes means sacrificing your own shots.
“[Tatum] has probably been the most vocal about it. Like ‘I don’t care if I just score 18 points or whatever, if we win and get to that end point, I’m gonna be happy about it,’” White said. “There’s a lot of little things that we talk about each day and it’s not really on the stat sheet, it just helps us win.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com