To the casual fan, the Boston Celtics’ resurgence is all about Jayson Tatum’s dramatic return from a season-ending Achilles tear. Two games back, two dominant wins (including Sunday’s 109-98 rout of the Cleveland Cavaliers), and suddenly Boston looks like the Eastern Conference favorite again.
But here’s the truth that’s been hiding in plain sight all season: the Celtics were already an elite team without Tatum. They won 41 of their first 43 games this year before he returned — a staggering mark that proves Boston’s core was championship-caliber even during what was supposed to be a “gap year” after losing key pieces and Tatum’s injury.
Derrick White smiles as Celtics players celebrate behind him with their hands in the air.
And the biggest reason? Derrick White.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said the quiet part out loud before Sunday’s game:
“Derrick White is a top-five player in this league. I know no one says that in the standard media, but analytically, if you look at all the advanced stuff, he’s a top-five player in the league. Superstar.”
Charles Barkley quickly pushed back on ESPN’s Inside the NBA pregame show:
“The reason nobody says that, Kenny, is because it’s not true.”
But the numbers don’t lie — and they’re starting to align with what coaches and analytics see every night.
According to dunksandthrees.com (a trusted advanced metrics site), White ranks ninth in estimated plus-minus (predicted impact per 100 possessions). Remove players who haven’t met the 65-game threshold (like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ty Jerome), and White jumps to seventh in the league — behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+9.3), Nikola Jokić (+8.8), and a few others with full-season samples.
bball-index.com’s data tells a similar story: White is seventh overall in on-court impact and third in wins over replacement.
Yet White remains largely absent from MVP conversations, All-NBA discussions, and mainstream “best player” lists. Jaylen Brown (who dropped 23 points, 8 assists, 9 rebounds Sunday) will get MVP votes. Shai, Jokić, Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell, Victor Wembanyama, and perhaps Luka Dončić dominate the headlines. White? Rarely mentioned.
That disconnect frustrates those who watch him nightly.
White, 31, has never made an All-Star team — despite two All-Defensive selections and two Team USA appearances (2019 World Cup, 2024 Olympics where he replaced Kawhi Leonard). His game isn’t flashy: no highlight dunks, no logo threes, no trash talk. But his impact is undeniable.
He’s Boston’s starting point guard in lineups without a traditional PG, a “connector” (in Joe Mazzulla’s words) who makes everyone better while playing elite defense. At 6-4 and 190 pounds, White guards 1 through 5, ranks among the league’s best rim-protecting guards, and has developed into a legitimate offensive threat.
This season, he’s posting career highs: 17.2 points, 5.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.5 blocks per game. Sunday’s stat line was quieter (7 points on 2-of-9 shooting), but he still added 7 rebounds and 5 assists while anchoring the defense.
Mazzulla on White’s uncommercialized brilliance:
“His type of play is not commercialized. But one of the hardest things to do in the NBA is have complete confidence while also making everyone around you better. He does both.”
The Celtics have won 14 of their last 17 — the league’s best defensive rating and second-best net rating (+12.1) in that span — largely because of White’s two-way mastery. Tatum’s return is massive, but Boston was already rolling. White is a huge reason why.
As the season winds down and playoffs loom, the narrative is shifting: this isn’t a “Tatum returns and saves us” story. The Celtics were already contenders. Derrick White helped make them that way — and he’s still flying under the radar.
Celtics Nation, it’s time to give Derrick White his flowers. Top-5 impact player? Superstar? Quietly the most valuable Celtic? Drop your thoughts below — the numbers and the eye test are starting to align.