Derrick White produced a solid two-way performance as the Boston Celtics defeated the Utah Jazz 129-119 on Tuesday, Dec. 30. The veteran guard ended the night with a career-high seven blocks to go with his 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
When speaking to the media after the game, Jazz head coach Will Hardy, who was previously an assistant on Boston’s coaching staff, shared some high praise for White.
“Derrick’s an elite defender,” Hardy said. “I didn’t feel in the game that it was because of Derrick. Derrick made some great defensive plays and had a couple of those blocked shots around the free-throw line. You know, he’s an all-time favorite person that I’ve ever been around in the NBA. He’s really smart and, like I said, an incredible defender, but I didn’t feel like it was him that was disrupting us.”
White is shouldering a sizeable load this season. Not only is he operating as the primary point-of-attack defender, but he also leads the Celtics’ offensive playmaking, averaging 80 touches per game and 58.9 passes per night.
And while it hasn’t always been pretty for White this season, especially when thinking back to his start-of-season slump, he’s earning all the praise that’s currently coming his way.
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The Celtics will need White to find ways to sustain his current production. The team is outperforming expectations this season and is firmly in position to push for a high playoff seeding, which could lead to a deep postseason run.
White will get another chance to impress on Thursday, Jan. 1, when the Celtics take on the Sacramento Kings in what will be the third game of their four-game West Coast road trip.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
