The Very Early Signs That Derrick White is Benefiting From Jayson Tatum's Return

White was always expected to be one of the beneficiaries of Tatum getting back on the floor for the Boston Celtics, and the early signs point to that being the case.

Mar 2, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) brings the ball up the court against Milwaukee Bucks in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Jayson Tatum hasn't even played 55 minutes for the Boston Celtics, but his impact on the team is already obvious. He looks very much like himself, with little apprehension. He's getting more tired than usual at the end of his stints, but he's drawing attention and making plays for himself and others.

“I'm just glad we have a first team All-NBA player back, a guy that could do it all,” Payton Pritchard said after beating the Cavs Sunday afternoon. “It's hard to guard us when you have to, you have to worry about him, [Jaylen Brown], [Derrick] White, then Sam [Hauser], Baylor [Scheierman], like so many guys. So, it makes us a really good team.”

One of the guys who has been widely expected to benefit most from Tatum's return is Derrick White, whose role has perhaps been most impacted this season. He has been spending a lot more time on the ball, running pick-and-rolls about 12% more often than he has in the past, and taking 10% fewer spot-ups. 

With Tatum back and taking more of that role, we're already starting to see some shifting in White's game. 

Let's be clear about this up front, two games is a tiny sample size and not proof of anything yet. This isn't about making a definitive conclusion. It's more about looking for data points to show us how things are progressing.

It's like watching for a sick person's fever to drop by a degree or to cough a bit less. White isn't back to what he was last season yet, but the signs are encouraging.  

Three of White's 13 dunks this season have come in the past two games as he takes advantage of more space. Defenses have one more elite player to worry about now, and White is taking advantage. 

According to NBA tracking data, White is getting open shots (with the closest defender 4-6 feet away) 39.9% of the time, and wide open shots (closest defender 6+ feet away) 27.4% of the time. But in the past two games, the wide open shots have jumped to 32% while the open shots have dipped slightly to 36%. The tightly-defended shots have remained at 28%, so White's looks over the past two games have gotten even more open. 

For the season, 51% of White's shots have been pull-ups while 28% have been catch-and-shoot, and 21% from inside 10 feet. The distribution has evened out over the past two games, with 36% coming on pull-ups, 32% on catch-and-shoot, and 32% inside 10 feet. 

Last season, 48% of White's shots were catch-and-shoot attempts, with the closest defender percentages closely mirroring what we have seen over the past two games. 

Again, we're talking about a very limited sample size here. The Tuesday night game in San Antonio could very easily present different opportunities that change these numbers closer to what they have been all season long. 

However, considering how things have looked for White in the past with Tatum on the floor, these past two games are at least the first two exhibits in the case to be made that White will benefit the most from Tatum's return. It makes sense that his offensive diet will evolve with another elite player on the floor.

If this is the beginning of a trend, then it's possible the Celtics won't just get the Tatum we're used to back in time for the playoffs, but they could also get a more familiar version of Derrick White.