Boston Celtics Mailbag: What Makes Derrick White a Special Defender

A Sliding Doors Scenario
Derrick White's Defense
Green Day
Scared of the Sixers?
Teens in the NBA

I’ll be doing regular Q&As here on SI and on my Locked On Celtics podcast. You can submit questions at JohnKaralis.com/mailbag, and those questions will be answered in one of those two places. Today’s mailbag will answer questions about the sliding doors created by the current CBA, what makes Derrick White special, fearing the Sixers, and more.

Questions may be edited for clarity and length.

A Sliding Doors Scenario

As bizarre as it sounds, don’t you think if the cap restrictions didn’t require the C’s to dump salary, this year’s team would actually be a play in/lottery team? Kristaps Porzingis has missed almost the entire season, Al Horford is often injured and has been only mildly effective, Jrue Holiday missed a few games early and has been inconsistent with Portland, not to mention, we probably don’t sign Luka Garza, Neemias Queta gets minimal minutes (none if Luke Kornet re-signs), Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh mostly sit (if they make the team) and Hugo Gonzalez probably spends the season in Maine. - Ted D

This is such a classic case of “situation matters.” All of the stuff Ted lays out is fair, especially the role players in Boston who have thrived because of the added opportunity. Queta has greatly improved, partly because he’s been able to apply all the lessons and work from practices and individual workouts. Scheierman, Garza, Walsh, and Gonzalez have all made the most of their chances.

At the same time, we have to understand that Horford and Holiday’s seasons wouldn’t be the same if they were in Boston. Their changes in teams and expectations have impacted how they’ve played. They would have performed differently in Boston.

Pozingis is a unique case, as usual, because of his injuries and the illness. But who knows how much healthier he would have been in Boston.

Would they have been a play-in team with the old mix of players? I’m going to say probably not. But they also might not have been the second seed, either. I think the unique set of circumstances created the success they have found, and it’s hard to duplicate it with last year’s mix.

Here’s one element Ted didn’t mention: How would Jaylen Brown’s leadership have looked on a team with Horford and Holiday still on it? That might be the biggest difference in the two teams.

With this squad, Brown is the unquestioned leader of the pack. He’s the best player and the longest-tenured. Sure, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have been around, and they lead as well, but this is Jaylen Brown’s team this season.

Would he have been this clear of a leader if Horford or Holiday were on the team? Maybe in some form, but I think it would be different.

I like how this team has worked together. I like the overachieving part of all of this. It’s fun to watch everyone grow as players and people.

Derrick White's Defense

Derrick White may finish the season with 100 steals and 100 blocks, joining elite company. How does his defensive style and mental game compare to that of Marcus Smart, another guard who was known for being able to guard multiple positions? What makes White so effective? - Moses I

They are different kinds of defenders. Both are cerebral, but Smart is playing mind games. White is just being calculating.

Both can anticipate plays, but Smart will often use that to draw a charge. He’ll annoying an offensive player, and be physical to the point of getting under someone’s skin. White is much more business-like with his defense, playing more in the team concept while Smart is more of a lock-down individual defender.

Smart can jump higher, and when he loads up, he can get up and block a big. White is a quicker jumper, so he’s able to block guards and wings as they drive where Smart is probably more likely to get into position to take a charge.

Both are obviously special defenders. I think they're a sort of “thunder and lightning” dynamic, with Smart making the loud plays while White makes the quick strike plays. They both are among the smartest players you’ll ever see.

White is a master of timing and positioning, and he rarely takes a chance that puts the team at too much risk. His mind and body are quick, and he uses that to his advantage.

Green Day

Why don't the Celtics play on St. Patrick's day every year? It makes too much sense and seems like a big missed marketing opportunity for the team and the NBA. If the Cowboys and the Lions can play every Thanksgiving, then it has to be possible for the NBA to make it happen. - Eddie M

Unfortunately, the NBA schedule is tougher to time than the NFL’s. The Cowboys and Lions know their stadiums will be available. TD Garden and other NBA arenas aren’t necessarily guaranteed to be free on St. Patrick’s Day.

And would we have wanted the Celtics to play on a back-to-back this Tuesday just to say they're playing on St. Patrick’s Day? Is it worth adding that stress to a player’s body just to say they played on that particular day?

I understand why people would want the Celtics on St. Patty’s Day, but it’s not always worth the maneuvering to make it happen every year. You’ll just have to settle for every other team playing on that day doing their best Celtics impressions.

New York Knicks St. Patrick's Day shirts — Mar 17, 2026; New York, New York, USA; T shirts to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day are placed over the seats prior to the game betwee the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Scared of the Sixers?

Is there not something to fear if the Sixers get Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George back? - Ira B

Sure there is something to fear in a fully healthy Sixers team, just like there's something to fear with Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster. I think none of those things are real.

There are also answers to how to beat that team in the playoffs. The Celtics would relentlessly attack Embiid to see how much he could handle defensively. Either they’d wear him out or feast on open jumpers when he’s in drop coverage.

I think the days of truly fearing the Sixers are over. Embiid is nowhere close to who he used to be. He can still be very effective, for sure, and the Sixers have a good record when he plays, but I don’t think he can carry a team in a seven-game series anymore.

Teens in the NBA

Curious about what these teenage NBA players do when they move to a city away from home to join a team. Do they live with a host family? Room with another player? Thinking about our young Hugo Gonzalez and of course Cooper Flagg. - Stephanie S

Gonzalez lives with his mother and brother. Flagg’s mother moved to Dallas and splits time to be with Cooper and his twin brother Ace, who is still in college. Jayson Tatum moved his mom nearby when he came here, though he had a baby that added to the mix. Jaylen Brown moved his mother and grandfather to Boston.

Some guys go at it alone, others bring family or friends with them to make things more comfortable. It truly does depend on each player. I think a lot of really young guys will bring someone with them, maybe not living with them but nearby, to help ease the transition.

A lot of times, a parent will also help handle some of the business stuff. Tatum’s mother is heavily involved in that side of his life. Flagg’s mother manages his business as well.

I think Gonzalez is a little bit of a different situation because of his culture. I can speak from the Greek culture perspective, which is similar to many European nations, that if my family moved somewhere to be with me, they’d be living with me as well. I think Gonzalez has some of that dynamic going on as well.