Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Lakers Guard Explains Why Celtics' Derrick White's His Inspiration
After a blockbuster trade that shook up the NBA landscape, including in its aftermath, Damian Lillard debuted with the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday night.
He and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who could form the league's best duo this season and form as lethal a pick-and-roll partnership as you'll find in the Association, propelled the Bucks to a 108-97 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
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While Milwaukee's seven-time All-NBA guard didn't want to step on any toes in his first game action with his new team, he understandably looked more comfortable as the contest progressed.
Lillard finished with 14 points on 3/10 shooting, swiped four steals, and dished out three assists in 22 minutes.
While the Lakers were without LeBron James, the other half of their star pairing, Anthony Davis, stuffed the stat sheet, leading Los Angeles in points (16), rebounds (seven), and assists (5). He also had two blocks and as many steals.
D'Angelo Russell, who the purple and gold re-signed over the summer, inking him to a two-year, $36 million deal, chipped in 11 points and a block.
After the game, he shared he's trying to be like Derrick White as he aims to fit in and sufficiently support his star teammates. His comments about the Boston Celtics guard start at the 4:03 mark of the video below.
"My inspiration has been Derrick White," Russell said after the Lakers' preseason loss to the Bucks. "I want to be Derrick White. He doesn't get a lot of credit for what he does, (but he) makes all the winning plays. That's who I want to be."
Monday at the Auerbach Center, Jrue Holiday, who's now in Boston as a result of Lillard ending up in Milwaukee, shared his thoughts on Russell's teammates about his new backcourt mate.
"I think it's just him, his character, his personality, seems kind of quiet, but when he gets on the court, he really makes a lot of loud noise. I know people always talk about defensively how, obviously, he's blocking shots; he blocks shots at the rim or even on a three, getting steals, playing great defense, but offensively, he's reliable. He's always played very, very solid, knocking down threes, a very reliable shooter, so he's more than reliable, someone you can always, always go to when you need him."
Even in the Celtics' 112-101 preseason win over the Philadelphia 76ers last Wednesday, a matchup White and the rest of the C's top six who suited up that night only played in the first half, the former Colorado Buffalo showcased his value, tying Holiday for a team-high 11 points, distributed four assists, and blocked three shots.
White's exclusion from ESPN's ranking of the NBA's top 100 players was a swing and a miss.
Further Reading
Joe Mazzulla Indicates Neemias Queta has Earned More Playing Time
Al Horford Shares Where Kristaps Porzingis Has Impressed Him Most
NBA Insider Explains Why Celtics Might Utilize Jrue Holiday as Sixth Man
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. 76ers: Regulars Shine, Roster Battles Intensify
Oshae Brissett's Value to the Celtics on Full Display in Preseason
Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present
