With the former DPOY gone, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula confirms who will replace Marcus Smart at the starting point guard position.
Boston Globe National NBA writer Gary Washburn recently revealed who the Celtics will start at point guard next season. He made history this season when he became the second player in NBA history (scooch over Jordan) to hit a buzzer-beating game-winner with his team trailing and facing elimination. That's right, Boston. It's Derrick White's time to shine.
Via Washburn's twitter:
Celtics: Derrick White will be starting point guard
Derrick White's story is inspirational. The Spurs drafted White with the 29th pick of the 2017 NBA draft. Yahoo! Sportswriter Jeff Eisenberg reported that White was also "the only one who has agreed to use part of his first NBA contract to repay the student loans he accumulated paying for tuition at UCCS as a freshman."
Because White was lightly recruited coming out of high school, he started his college career at UCCS, a Division II school. Thanks to a late growth spurt during his three-year UCCS career, White became a star. He started every game he played, and he graduated as the school's career leader in points (1,912) and assists (343).
Next season, White transferred to the University of Colorado, a Division I school, where he averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. In his first year playing Division I ball, White was named first-team All-Pac-12 and a member of the five-man All-Defensive team.
After five seasons with the Spurs, Derrick White was traded to Boston in February of the 2022 season. That same season, he made his first-ever NBA Finals appearance, scoring 21 points and three assists in Game 1. Although the Celtics lost the series to the Warriors in six games, White's impact was noticed and he was named a starter for the Celtics the following season.
If anything should comfort Celtics fans, it's that White can show up when you need him most. Derrick White is a reliable guard on both ends of the floor and should pick up right where Marcus Smart left off. Additionally, it's reassuring to know that during week 17 of the 2022-23 season, while Smart was injured, Derrick White was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
Last season, White averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game with the Celtics. This May, for the first time in his career, White was named NBA All-Defensive Second Team. The incredible NBA story of Derrick White continues as he prepares to lead the Celtics next season.