Pregame Post-Ups: White Growing More Comfortable by the Day

BOSTON – Derrick White has had a lot to unpack in his first three weeks as a Boston Celtic, but the fifth-year guard has done an excellent job of getting everything in order and learning on the fly.

Since being acquired from the San Antonio Spurs at the trade deadline, White has logged 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks in seven appearances, while playing an average of 26.2 minutes per game in mostly a sixth-man role. The Celtics have gone 5-2 in that span.

“It’s been good,” White said of the experience prior to Tuesday night’s home matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. “Just learning each day, trying to get more comfortable, learning the guys, learning the system. Been a little bit of a process, but take it day by day and just keep learning.”

As a facilitator, White is trying to learn his teammates' tendencies as quickly as possible so that he can be effective in his playmaking role. He’s also adapting to Boston’s switching defensive system, which requires him to be connected to his teammates at all times on that end of the floor.

Although he’s done a solid job on both ends so far, White admits that he’s not perfect and that slip-ups will be part of the learning process.

“A lot of these guys have played together for a while, so they’ve done it for a minute, and I’m just trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be and how I can help them out,” White said. “Here and there I’ll make mistakes and the coaching staff will pull me over and talk me through it. But just try to limit those mistakes and figure out those gray areas where we’re switching or not switching. That’s the process and I just try to go along with it.”

With nearly a quarter of a season left, White is confident that he’ll be able to grasp everything within Ime Udoka’s system by the time the postseason rolls around. The fact that he’s already played under Udoka during their time with the Spurs and that he’s played with a handful of the guys on Team USA should only help expedite the process.

“I feel pretty comfortable,” he said. “I’m not too worried about how I’m going to adjust and fit in. We’ve got 19 games left, and that will give me a lot of time to get comfortable with the guys and get ready for the playoffs.”

- Taylor Snow