The Boston Celtics are officially sending at least one player to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, with Jaylen Brown earning a starting nod for the Eastern Conference. But if you ask Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, he thinks the Celtics should have a second representative heading to Los Angeles next month - and he’s not shy about who deserves the call.
“Derrick White’s an All-Star,” Carlisle said before Wednesday night’s matchup at TD Garden. “He’s an All-Star player.
The guy’s eighth in the league in blocked shots, and he’s such an important part of their team. Their team is playing very well.”
That’s high praise from a respected voice, and it’s not unwarranted. White has quietly been one of the most impactful two-way players in the league this season, even if the All-Star buzz hasn’t quite caught up to his production.
Let’s look at the numbers. White is the only player in the NBA this season with at least 50 steals and 60 blocks - a stat that speaks volumes about his defensive versatility.
He’s been a disruptor on the perimeter, a shot-blocking presence at the rim, and a steadying force in Boston’s backcourt. Offensively, he’s on pace for career highs across the board: 17.7 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game.
That’s production that should at least put him in the All-Star conversation.
Still, White faces an uphill climb. He finished 20th in the Eastern Conference in All-Star voting, which combines input from fans, players, and media.
That’s not ideal, but there’s still a path: coaches select the All-Star reserves, and several around the league have taken note of White’s under-the-radar excellence. Carlisle’s comments are just the latest endorsement.
Of course, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. White started the season in a shooting slump, and those issues have crept back in recently.
After scoring in double figures in 36 of his first 38 games, he’s hit a rough patch, putting up just eight, seven, and four points in his last three outings heading into Wednesday’s game against Indiana. His most recent performance - a 1-for-11 night from the field and 0-for-6 from deep in a one-point loss to Detroit - was particularly rough.
For the season, White is shooting 39.1% from the field and 32.4% from beyond the arc - marks that would rank as the worst and second-worst of his career, respectively. That kind of dip in efficiency is hard to ignore, especially when All-Star selections often hinge on standout scoring numbers.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla addressed White’s struggles before the game, emphasizing a shared responsibility between player and staff.
“If anyone is struggling, it has just as much to do with the staff as it does the player,” Mazzulla said. “So we’re always looking for opportunities to be able to impact that, and you just figure out ways to get better together.”
It’s a team-first mindset that mirrors White’s game - unselfish, gritty, and quietly effective. He’s not the flashiest name in the league, but his impact on winning is hard to miss for anyone watching closely. And with Boston sitting near the top of the standings, there’s a strong case that their success deserves more than one All-Star nod.
For now, Brown and the injured Jayson Tatum - who has six All-Star selections to his name - remain the only Celtics with that honor on their resumes. But if coaches value defense, versatility, and winning basketball, Derrick White might just get the recognition he’s earned when the All-Star reserves are announced.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game tips off Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Whether White is on that stage remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt he’s built a case worth serious consideration.