Ex-Spurs Derrick White & Ime Udoka: Celtics Saviors in East Finals
Derrick White and Ime Udoka were far from considered big NBA names during their collective time with the Spurs.
Outside of fans in San Antonio, their appearance on the court and the sidelines might have seemed secondary to the casual fan who craved the dazzling star-power that tends to awakens one's love for the NBA.
Now with the Boston Celtics, their shared success on the bright stage of the Eastern Conference Finals is a story that can't be ignored by the rest of the league. A dominant 102-82 victory over the conference-best Miami Heat tied the series at 2-2 in Game 4 on Monday and was sparked by White's fast start and the coaching steadiness of Udoka.
The pair spent two seasons together in San Antonio and Udoka's trust and familiarity with White shows. After being dealt to Boston in February for a first round pick, Josh Richardson, and Romeo Langford, White's potential value to the Celtics became clear and seemed to take a step toward coming full circle Monday night.
As soon as Game 4 tipped off, White, who was starting in place of injured Boston guard and Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, ignited a run that allowed the Celtics to never look back in game in which they never trailed.
White scored the game's first seven points as the Celtics jumped out to a 29-11 lead by the end of the first quarter. At 4-14 from the field, it wasn't a particularly efficient shooting night for the 27-year-old, but he played a game-high 41 minutes to go along with 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block.
Following the win, Udoka spoke on White's importance to the team and how his aggressiveness can take the Celtics to new heights.
"Understanding the urgency with Marcus (Smart) being out and the position he's put in," Udoka said. "Obviously starting the game, gonna have the ball in his hands a lot more. Want him to be confident, aggressive, and he picked his spots well early on. We want him to be aggressive at all times. His jumpshot may not be falling, but he does so many other things for the team."
Udoka also mentioned Gregg Popovich's approach to coaching White. Safe to say the former Spurs assistant and player is comfortable with a different strategy now that he's in charge.
"Even when he's not hitting shots, he checks so many boxes," Udoka said. "Pop was on him about not fouling, but I want him to be even more aggressive here. I couldn't be happier with him."
Udoka, 44, played 160 of his 316 career NBA games with the Spurs over three seasons before his last year in the league in 2011. He then joined Popovich's staff in 2012, where he served as an assistant until 2019.
After one season apiece as an assistant with 76ers and the Nets, the Celtics hired Udoka in June 2021 as the franchise's newest head coach.
White was selected by the Spurs at No. 29 overall out of Colorado in 2017. In 237 career games in San Antonio, he averaged 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor in 25.7 minutes per game.
Two wins now separate the former Spurs from an appearance in the NBA Finals while sporting the colors of one of the most decorated teams in all of sports. If Monday's performance was a sign of things to come, White and Udoka could be hanging banner No. 18 in the coming weeks.
