Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has named Derrick White his starting point guard ahead of the 2023-24 season. “Derrick will be our starting point guard, and he will be one of our starting guards,” Mazzulla said.
“We have the ability to play in different ways. We have the ability to play small and play big, so with some of the changes that we’ve made, so it opens up a lot of opportunities for Derrick, Payton [Pritchard], and Malcolm [Brogdon].”
In a three-team trade, the Celtics finalized a deal to acquire 7-foot-3 center Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards after the big man opted into his $36 million contract for 2023-24. Boston then sent its 35th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to Washington.
Derrick White will be the starting point guard for the #Celtics, per Joe Mazzulla ☘️
Drop your stat predictions for DWhite in 2023-24 👀 pic.twitter.com/wHhVF9TzkW
— John-Griner Canady (@Johng_c) July 26, 2023
The Wizards also acquired Danilo Gallinari, Julian Philips, and Mike Muscala from Boston. As for the Memphis Grizzlies, the Western Conference contender sent their 2023 and 2024 first-round picks to the Celtics for Marcus Smart.
White made 70 starts in 82 appearances with the Celtics en route to receiving an NBA All-Defensive Second-Team selection in the 2022-23 season. The sixth-year guard averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 28.3 minutes per game while shooting 46.2% from the floor and 38.1% beyond the arc.
In Boston’s 127-116 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 10, the former Buffalo recorded a career-high 33 points, three boards, 10 assists, one steal, and three blocks in 37 minutes as a starter. Moreover, White finished 12-of-19 (63.2%) shooting from the field and 8-of-14 (57.1%) from 3-point range.
On Feb. 13, the Celtics guard was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 24.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists as a starter in place of injured starter Marcus Smart.
Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla names Derrick White starting point guard for the 2023-24 season; Payton Pritchard and Malcolm Brogdon to see bigger role next season?
During the 2023 NBA Playoffs, White became the first player in NBA history to score 200 or more points on 50-45-95% shooting splits in a single postseason. In the Celtics’ 116-99 win over the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, the guard recorded a series-high 16 points in 28 minutes as a starter.
In Boston’s 120-108 win against the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals, Derrick White became the first Celtics player to reach the 20-point mark as a reserve in an NBA Finals game since Leon Powe in Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.
Additionally, in the 2019 NBA Playoffs, White became the first player since Dwyane Wade to record at least 35 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game in his first or second season.
Celtics’ 2023-24 Starting Lineup:
PG – Derrick White
SG – Jaylen Brown
SF – Jayson Tatum
PF – Kristaps Porzingis
C – Robert Williams IIIBest starting 5 in the league. Can’t wait to see them on Media Day in a few months.
— TatumMuse (@TatumMuse) July 27, 2023
The only other first or second-year players to accomplish this feat as starters in the last 20 years were Wade, Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons, and Tim Duncan.
Furthermore, White still has two seasons remaining of the four-year, $70 million extension he signed with the San Antonio Spurs in December 2020. The Colorado native is slated to make $18,107,143 in 2023-24 and $19,321,429 in 2024-25.
Now that Smart is with the Grizzlies, guards Payton Pritchard and Malcolm Brogdon, the 2023 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, could see more playing time with the Celtics next season.
“I think that’s really important that those three have an opportunity to grow them and help them on both ends of the floor,” Mazzulla added. “Those three guys at the guard spot is a part of our identity and a part of what we need to get to on offense and defense.”
