Derrick White Discusses Keys to Celtics Success and Shuffling Between Starting and Second Unit

White contributed two points, four assists, three rebounds, and a steal in 24 minutes in the Celtics' opening night win against the Sixers.

In the Celtics' 126-117 win over the Sixers on opening night, Joe Mazzulla kept Derrick White in the starting lineup, just as he had throughout the preseason. As familiar as White is with staying ready to come off the bench and make an impact, it would've been odd to utilize him that way after not doing so in Boston's three exhibition games.

White finished with two points, four assists, three rebounds, and a steal in 24 minutes, including attacking off the catch, getting into the paint, and splashing a 16-foot jump shot over Tyrese Maxey while finishing through contact. The bucket helped get the Celtics in a rhythm early in the third quarter.

Wednesday, discussing his understanding of his role and what he needs to give the game to help Boston consistently get into the win column, White offered the following.

"I feel like defense has got to be all the time. And then, offensively, it might change from game to game. I might get more touches one game, might not get as much the other game, so just being aggressive and taking what the game tells you to do, so that's what I'm going to try to do each and every night, and one game in, doing well."

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One way White adds value is by making sure that, regardless of whether it's after a make or a miss, the Celtics play up-tempo, allowing their offense to find and sustain its rhythm.

"We're trying to play fast so, make, miss, you try to get it out quick and push it, and that's what (the) coaches have been asking me to do so (we) get out in transition, run, try to get easy ones, and even if we don't get something right away, we've still got 20, 19 seconds left in the shot clock to make something happen, so try to do that each and every time."

In Tuesday's win, Boston controlled the pace of play in the second half, operating with a combination of speed, aggression, taking care of the ball, and keeping Philadelphia off the offensive glass, leading to a 44-38 advantage in points in the paint and producing 24 on the fast break compared to two by the Sixers.

Making his Celtics regular-season debut, Malcolm Brogdon helped Boston accomplish that objective, registering 16 points, ten of which came in the paint, four assists, and two steals.

Wednesday, White said of Brogdon's impact: "He does a good job of getting everybody organized, (a) calming presence out there, and obviously, he can do a lot offensively and defensively to help us win, so it's going to be a fun year having him and he's going to do a lot for us."

Expounding on the topic, White expressed: "Having a guy come in off the bench, and it's kind of a different offense when he's out there, so he's just going to get used to the guys and get better and better as the year goes on, and we're happy to have him on the team."

Like Brogdon, White's started and came off the bench. It's a shuffle that will continue this season, with Boston having the fortune of being able to adjust their starting lineup if the matchup calls for it.

Discussing the key to making an impact as a member of the second unit, just as Brogdon did Tuesday, White conveyed, "you've just got to be locked in and ready when your name is called, and that's the beauty of this team, is we have a lot of guys that can have a big night. Obviously, JT and JB, but it can be anybody, it could be Sam (Hauser), it could be, we've seen Payton (Pritchard), we have a lot of depth and a lot of guys that can do great things."

That depth is crucial to the Celtics' versatility and pacing through the regular season. And while Philadelphia didn't get enough help from a second unit that scored 11 points, Boston's chipped in 34 as the Celtics' supporting cast helped swing the outcome in their favor. 

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With a second unit anchored by Brogdon, Grant Williams, and at times White, expect that group outplaying the opposing bench to turn into a theme this season.

Further Reading

After Opening Night Win, Celtics Express Their Belief in Joe Mazzulla and His Collaborative Approach

The Top 5 Plays from Celtics-Sixers Opening Night Matchup

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics Opening Night Win vs. Sixers

Grant Williams on Not Getting a Contract Extension from Celtics: 'it doesn't mean that a deal won't get done in the future'

Robert Williams Undergoes PRP Injection That May Delay His Season Debut

Celtics and Grant Williams Unlikely to Agree to Contract Extension Before Regular Season, But Neither Side at Fault

Malcolm Brogdon Explains Why He Chose Celtics Over Eastern Conference Rival