DALLAS — As Derrick White has unlocked his game with the Celtics as an effective two-way guard, it’s clear the impact C’s coach Joe Mazzulla has had on him. Mazzulla has been all about empowering White, whether that’s telling him to play his game or take more 3-pointers.
Sure, it took a while to get to White, who hasn’t always been willing to put up the shots he does now. But with the Celtics just one win away from hanging Banner No. 18, it’s clear Mazzulla’s approach has worked. So White only had complimentary words for Mazzulla after the C’s beat the Mavericks in Game 3.
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“I think Joe is a basketball genius,” White said. “So whatever he says, I’m going to try to just do it to my highest capabilities. We just try to make the right basketball play every time down the court, whether that’s a 3, but just trying to have the right spacing and just make the right basketball play.”
Mazzulla’s teachings have also clearly had an impact on the Celtics. The second-year coach has never shied away from adversity — he instead leans into those moments of strife. When the Mavs cut down the Celtics’ 21-point lead all the way down to a point in the fourth quarter, White joked that since Mazzulla is a “sicko,” he probably enjoyed the entire experience.
That’s the level of trust that White has in his coach, which he’s spoken about throughout the season. The C’s are now just a win away from hanging a banner with their current core. But they haven’t skipped any steps along the way as they look to get one more victory to wrap up their playoff run.
“Joe is consistent the whole time,” White said. “He’s probably so happy that it happened like that so he can just continue to tell us that. But he just stays consistent. He just makes the right calls, and we just trust him completely.”
