The Boston Celtics stunned the NBA on Wednesday, July 1st, when the team traded away 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. With Brown now gone, Boston will need others on the roster to help fill what the team lost, with Derrick White at the forefront.
Last season, it's fair to say that White had his worst season for the Celtics. After all the offseason roster changes, along with Jayson Tatum set to miss most of the season, White saw his role increase dramatically. His role next season will be closer to his old role, with Tatum and Paul George set to be the main two points on offense(with Payton Pritchard also potentially being a more offensive focal point).
Hopefully, this will help White rebound next season, since Boston will desperately need it.
Boston needs Derrick White to return to form next season
On the surface, it might not seem like last season was the worst for White during his time in Boston, as he averaged career highs in points (16.5), assists (5.4), blocks (1.3), and steals (1.1). He also added 4.4 rebounds per game. When you look at his efficiency, however, you see how White struggled this past season with an increased role.
White's shooting percentages weren't pretty this past season, shooting 39.4% from the field (career-worst) and just 32.7% from three (second-lowest in his career). In the playoffs, things only got more difficult for the Colorado alum.
Against the 76ers in Round 1, White's play dipped again, averaging 11.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. His shooting percentages show the same picture, with White shooting a dreadful 32.1% from the field and 27.3% from three, which were both career lows in the playoffs. Heading into next season, Boston will need a rebound season from their guard.
Jaylen Brown did a lot for the Celtics this past season, and now that he's gone, other members of the team will have to fill that void. Jayson Tatum being healthy from the start of the season is a good start, and while he is much more of a health risk than Brown, George can still give decent minutes when needed. But Boston needs White to find his rhythm again.
White was an important part of the 2024 team that won the NBA championship, and Boston needs him to return to that caliber of player to be successful next season.
The Celtics need to take some pressure off of Derrick White
Though much can change from now until the start of next season, Boston could go with a starting lineup of Payton Pritchard, White, George, Tatum, and Neemias Queta (who just earned a four-year extension). Doing this, you could slide White into the fourth option offensively and allow him to take advantage of better matchups and see easier looks. This would also allow him to focus more on the defensive side, where White has really made his mark in the past.
Getting White back to his old self will take work from both himself and the Celtics. The 32-year-old simply needs to play better, but Boston can also make things easier on him by putting him in a better spot to succeed.
This is an important season for White, given his current contract. Should White have another down season, Boston would be wrong not to explore options to move on, making his next season all the more crucial.
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