Derrick White isn’t having the smoothest shooting month of his career - and that’s putting it lightly. January has historically been a bit of a cold stretch for the Celtics guard, and this year is no different.
Through 11 games in 2026, White is hitting just 36.9% from the field and a chilly 24.7% from deep. But here’s the thing: his value to Boston goes way beyond the box score.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla made that clear before the Celtics’ recent 119-104 win over the Pacers. “If anyone is struggling, it has just as much to do with staff as it does the player,” Mazzulla said. “We just figure out ways to get better together.”
And while the coaching staff looks for ways to get White’s shooting rhythm back on track, the 29-year-old continues to impact the game in just about every other way imaginable. Defense.
Playmaking. Leadership.
Winning plays. You name it, White’s doing it.
In fact, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle didn’t hesitate when asked about his preseason expectations for the Celtics. His first thought? Derrick White.
“Derrick White is an All-Star,” Carlisle said. “He’s an All-Star player. I mean, the guy is 8th in the league in blocked shots.”
Let that sink in. A 6-foot-4 guard, ranking among the league leaders in blocks - that’s not just rare, that’s elite.
And it speaks to the kind of all-around game White brings to the table. While his shooting numbers have dipped - he’s currently sitting at a career-low 39.1% from the field - his impact has not.
The Celtics are +101 with White on the floor this month. That’s not just the best mark on the team - it’s the only one in triple digits.
The next closest? Sam Hauser at +90.
Over the course of the season, White is a +275. That’s not a stat padded in garbage time - it’s a reflection of how consistently Boston wins the minutes he plays.
“He’s not defined by shooting efficiency,” Mazzulla said after the win over Indiana. “I think it’s hard to recognize the other stuff, and it’s easy to notice the shooting inefficiencies because they’re right there.”
But the other stuff? It’s everywhere.
White’s defensive versatility has been on full display all year. He’s averaging career-highs in both steals (1.3) and blocks (1.5) per game - numbers that would be impressive for a wing, let alone a guard.
He’s guarding multiple positions, blowing up actions, and making life miserable for opposing ball-handlers.
And he’s doing it while taking on more offensive responsibility than ever. With Boston’s roster reshaped over the summer, White has stepped into a bigger role on that end too - initiating offense, making smart reads, and still finding ways to contribute even when the shot isn’t falling.
Jaylen Brown didn’t hold back in his praise.
“I think Derrick is a first-team All-Defense type of ballot, or maybe even Defensive Player of the Year,” Brown said. “But on top of that, he contributes on offense, and that takes a lot more energy, a lot more effort to do night-to-night. And he’s healthy, he’s available.”
That last part might be the most underrated aspect of White’s game: availability. In an era where load management is the norm, White is one of the few players you can almost always count on to suit up.
Since joining the Celtics in 2022, he’s played at least 73 games in each season. That kind of durability, especially for a two-way player logging heavy minutes, is rare.
“You’ve got to give that respect to Derrick,” Brown added. “It’s not an easy job to do and play both ends of the ball at a high level for the duration of the season - and be available for a majority of the games.
That’s extremely difficult. He’s been doing that for us all [year], and that has helped us be a second seed.”
White will get a well-earned night off against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, but his fingerprints are all over Boston’s success this season. Even in a shooting slump, he’s a tone-setter - the kind of player who does all the little things that lead to wins.
So yeah, the jumper might be cold right now. But Derrick White’s game? Still red-hot where it matters most.