The Boston Celtics were active at the 2022 NBA trade deadline, and their most notable deal was to acquire versatile guard Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs.
White has played four games for Boston since the trade, and he's already made a strong impact at both ends of the floor. White has the fourth-best defensive rating and second-best net rating on the team over that span. Boston is 3-1 in those games with the All-Star break underway.
In the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast, our Chris Forsberg is joined by one of White's former coaches -- University of Colorado at Colorado Springs head coach Jeff Culver -- to talk about how the 27-year-old guard will make the C's better, among many other topics.
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Celtics Talk Podcast: Derrick White's crazy journey to the NBA and the Boston Celtics | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"I think it just fits into a skill set. He's a legit two-way combo guard that does not need the ball in his hands," Culver said.
"When you've got two primary scorers in Boston, he's fine with that. Sometimes you get traded and it's like, 'Oh, are there enough shots to go around?' and all of these things. Derrick can be impactful in a game without shooting the ball at all."
Boston Celtics
White impacts the outcome of a game in so many ways outside of scoring. He does a lot of the little things -- many of which don't show up on the stat sheet -- that lead to wins.
"Even in these few games, he hasn't shot well, and he's still getting rebounds, blocking shots, getting deflections and steals, taking charges," Culver said. "All the things that he can do off the ball at both ends of the floor is huge. So, then you get another primary ball-handler when you need it. Marcus Smart -- hopefully his ankle is doing well -- but if he's out for an extended period of time, you have another guy (in White) who can handle the ball. When Marcus is in, you have a guy who can play off the ball.
"You have a guy who can guard multiple positions and give other guys a break on that end of the floor. He's going to rotate, he's going to be unselfish. He's going to make the right winning play. For a team like the Celtics that's trying to climb that Eastern Conference ladder -- and you've already got so many good pieces -- I just think (White) is a very interesting piece for them who will get them a step closer to their postseason goals."
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One of the best aspects of the White trade is he's not a rental.
His contract runs through the 2024-25 season and his salary never exceeds $20 million per year. So, if he proves to be a great fit, the Celtics will have a very good two-way player on a team-friendly deal for three more years.
Also discussed in the episode: Culver shares how their relationship has progressed, the advice he's given to White, and much more!
Be sure to download and subscribe to the latest episode of Celtics Talk or watch on YouTube below: