SACRAMENTO, Calif. — NBA All-Star voting is officially underway as there are plenty of Celtics players who could get that nod. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have both been in that conversation in past seasons as they’re coming off All-NBA caliber seasons.
Of course, it’s not just those two for the Celtics. Jrue Holiday made his second All-Star team just last season. Kristaps Porzingis also earned that nod back in 2018 as he’s playing some of the best basketball of his career currently.
But there is one member of the Celtics starting five who has yet to make the All-Star team. That’s Derrick White, who’s arguably been one of Boston’s most important players this season. And White has had one of the best stretches of his career recently, propelling the Celtics to a 21-6 record. So while White himself hasn’t thought much about the All-Star team, C’s coach Joe Mazzulla believes he should get that nod.
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“I mean he’s my coach, that’s what he’s supposed to say, right?” White said. “I’m just trying to win games. That’s what I’m focusing on right now. Just do whatever I can to help us win.”
White has impressed all season, averaging a career-high 16.5 points, along with 5.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. He’s coming off some impressive games, including a hyper-efficient 28-point outing against the Kings in their blowout win where he shot 10-for-13 from the field.
While the Celtics are plenty talented, White has been the glue guy to help keep the operation running smoothly. His two-way play has impressed all season; he was named to the All-Defensive second-team last season. The Celtics are also giving him more offensive opportunities, and he’s also looked for his shot more aggressively this season.
It’s still early in the All-Star voting process as the league hasn’t even produced the first batch of results yet. While it will likely be difficult for White to get a starting spot, the coaches could vote him in as a reserve. White is known as one of the more underrated players in the league, so there could be some momentum coming his way as long as he continues his stellar play.
“Freedom, confidence and empowerment from his teammates,” Mazzulla said. “And so you take a look at a lot of the times when we want to settle the team down or we want to get to really good execution, we go to Derrick White pick-and-rolls. … So his teammates are empowered and he’s playing with a lot of confidence. It’s one of the reasons why we feel so comfortable with him at the point is because of what he can do.”
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