The Celtics are opting for a strategic breather Friday night in Brooklyn, giving starting guard Derrick White the night off for rest - the first time Boston has used that designation this season. It’s a move that speaks to both the grind of the schedule and White’s heavy workload, as the team opens a road back-to-back with the Nets on Friday before heading to Chicago to face the Bulls on Saturday.
White has been a fixture in the Celtics' lineup, starting 42 of the team’s first 43 games and logging significant minutes on both ends of the floor. He’s putting up career-best numbers across the board: 17.6 points, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. That’s elite two-way production - especially for a guard - and it’s come despite a noticeable dip in his shooting efficiency.
The shooting numbers tell part of the story. White is hitting just 39.1% from the field, with a 32.3% clip from beyond the arc.
His effective field-goal percentage (48.6%) and true shooting percentage (52.6%) are both tracking toward career lows. January, in particular, has been a rough stretch - he’s shooting just 36.9% overall and 24.7% from three this month, with point totals of 8, 7, 4 and 13 in his last four outings.
But if you ask Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, White’s value goes far beyond the box score.
“He’s not defined by shooting efficiency,” Mazzulla said after Boston’s 119-104 win over the Pacers on Wednesday. “That’s a bonus.
What really makes him special is everything else - his pick-and-roll reads, his defensive versatility, the way he sprints back and gets deflections. Those things have helped us win games.
It’s easy to focus on the shooting numbers, but he impacts the game in so many other ways.”
That impact is backed up by the numbers. White is one of just two players in the league - alongside Toronto’s Scottie Barnes - with at least 50 steals and 60 blocks this season.
He ranks eighth in the NBA in blocks, a rare feat for a guard, and continues to be a disruptive force on the defensive end. It’s no surprise he’s been named to the All-Defensive Team in two of the last three seasons.
His teammates and peers are noticing, too. Jaylen Brown didn’t hesitate when asked about White’s All-Star candidacy.
“Regardless of what the stats look like,” Brown said, “Derrick White is an All-Star.”
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle echoed that sentiment, praising White’s all-around game and defensive impact.
Boston will also be without reserve wing Josh Minott, who’s set to miss his ninth straight game with an ankle sprain. Jayson Tatum remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from offseason Achilles surgery.
As for the Nets, they come into Friday’s matchup reeling. Brooklyn has dropped 11 of its last 13 and is fresh off a 120-66 blowout loss to the Knicks - a performance that raised more questions than answers.
Still, they did manage to beat the Celtics earlier this season, pulling off a 113-105 upset at TD Garden back in November. Boston will be looking to return the favor - and they'll do it without one of their most important two-way players.
White’s night off may be labeled as “rest,” but it’s also a reminder of just how much he’s carried - and how much he still means to a Celtics team with championship aspirations.