Derrick White looked like himself again in Boston’s 119-80 win over the Charlotte Hornets, and that meant two things were working at once: he was playing with joy, and he was hunting his shots.
The cameras kept catching White smiling throughout Friday night’s NBA Cup game, and the expression fit the way he played. When he’s loose and not carrying extra weight on his shoulders, his game opens up. The aggression was there from the start, and it showed up in a burst that helped Boston seize control early.
Beginning at the 9:02 mark of the first quarter, White personally fueled nine straight Celtics points while Charlotte managed only two. He started by rejecting a Neemias Queta screen, driving downhill and finishing a floater through contact from Coby White.
On the next trip, Jayson Tatum found him before the star forward had even crossed half court. White used a pump fake to send Brandon Miller flying by, then calmly knocked down a 3 while Miller fouled him from behind.
That mix of poise and force was the story of his night.
White finished with 18 points, second on the team, on 6-for-10 shooting. He took six 3-pointers and hit four of them. He also added five assists, four rebounds, two of them on the offensive glass, and a steal, while committing just two turnovers.
Charlotte was short-handed, with starters Kon Knueppel [hamstring] and Moussa Diabate [quadriceps] out, and Miller left with an injury in the first half. Still, the bigger takeaway was White’s ability to put his full game on display when he’s playing with that blend of calm and edge Boston needs from him.
He has had some early-season trouble with pull-up 3s, making just 9.1 percent of them on 1.2 attempts per game, according to NBA.com. That’s partly a volume issue, and it’s also a small sample nine games into the season. But the catch-and-shoot numbers are there: White is hitting 41.7 percent of those looks and ranks third on the Celtics with 1.7 made catch-and-shoot 3s per game.
The impact goes well beyond shooting, though. White has been creating more at the rim and setting up better looks from deep for his teammates.
Defensively, he’s still doing the heavy lifting that has made him a three-time All-Defensive Team selection. He navigates screens well, stays glued to tough assignments, bothers ball-handlers, challenges shots, and chips in on the glass.
He’s also averaging 1.3 steals per game.
Not every part of White’s game is flashy, but it all adds up to a player Boston leans on heavily. Even when the pull-up jumper isn’t falling, he remains one of the most influential players on the floor. And when the joy and aggression show up together, White tends to look like the best version of himself.
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Celtics Injury Scare Faded Fast But One Bigger Concern Still Looms
Payton Pritchards brief scare in Wednesdays game turned out to be exactly that, a scare. The Celtics guard left after a right eye abrasion affected his vision, but he was back in the mix by Friday at Charlotte, easing immediate concern around a player who has become a steady part of Bostons rotation. Pritchard also dealt with a right shoulder contusion, and he spoke about the teams progress this season as the Celtics continue sorting out their early rhythm.
The larger question around Boston, though, still sits with Jayson Tatum and the long road back from his Achilles injury. Tatum has been managing occasional rest nights as he works through the recovery process, a reminder that the Celtics are still balancing short-term availability with the bigger picture of getting their star fully right. For a team trying to build momentum, Pritchards quick return helped, but the more important health storyline is still the one that will shape Bostons season for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Luka Garza Is Forcing A Celtics Rotation Decision
Luka Garza has quietly given the Celtics something they did not necessarily expect this early in the season: a reserve big who can stretch the floor and hold his own enough to stay on the court. In limited minutes, he has looked efficient as a scorer, knocked down threes at a strong clip and shown enough defensive improvement to make him more than just a situational option.
For a team always balancing depth, spacing and frontcourt fit, that kind of early production can force a real rotation conversation. Garza has done enough to make a case for a larger role, and the Celtics now have to decide whether what he has shown is a small-sample spark or the start of something they should lean into more often. [Read more 🡒]
Former Celtics Big Is Suddenly Becoming A Real Rotation Factor Elsewhere
Charles Bassey has gone from a brief Celtics stop to carving out a real role in Golden State, where his energy and physicality have made him a useful rotation piece. The big man has already appeared in seven of the Warriors nine games, giving them a steady interior presence while scoring efficiently, rebounding and protecting the rim in limited minutes.
The early returns have been hard to ignore for a Warriors team that has clearly benefited from his presence. Bassey is shooting 65.5% from the field and averaging seven points, 5.3 rebounds and a block per game, but the bigger sign of his value has been how much better Golden State has looked with him on the floor, a reminder that some frontcourt fits take a little time to surface. [Read more 🡒]