Celtics fans have known just how valuable Derrick White is for quite some time, and now, it appears the league is taking notice as well.
The NBA named White the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games from March 18-24. He averaged 20.3 points, 8.8 assists and 6.5 rebounds, filling a variety of roles and fueling Boston to a 4-0 record.
This is the first time he’s won the award this season and the second such honor of his career. He’s the third Celtics to earn the nod this year, joining Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
With many key players sidelined in recent weeks, White has been a constant and has helped the Celtics lock up the No. 1 seed.
Los Angeles Lakers forward-center Anthony Davis and Boston Celtics guard Derrick White have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 22 of the 2023-24 season (March 18-24). pic.twitter.com/YRpUfYaqpd
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 25, 2024
He recorded his first career triple-double and reached 5,000 career points against the Pistons on Monday, racking up 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. White then contributed 23 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks against the Bucks, helping Boston withstand a furious comeback.
White added 19 points and 11 assists against the Pistons, then 17 points and 6 assists against the Bulls. He’s averaging 7.2 assists in March – well up from 5.0 in February and 3.7 in January.
Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (19.3 points, 6.8 assists) was also nominated.
