Zach Lowe Praises ‘Incredible’ Defensive Work From Celtics’ Derrick White originally appeared on NESN.
Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A recent episode of The Zach Lowe Show featured Lowe and special guest John Hollinger reviewing their personal selections for All-Defense.
Naturally, Boston Celtics defensive mastermind Derrick White arose during the discussion. Hollinger had White on his first team, whereas Lowe had Derrick on his second team. Despite Lowe’s lower ranking for White, he made sure to praise the 31-year-old guard for his defensive prowess.
“He challenges four shots a game at the rim and opponents are shooting 55% on shots at the rim when Derrick White is the closest defender,” Lowe noted.
“Those are the numbers of a lot of starting centers in the NBA, across the board. It’s incredible. … I love Derrick White so much. He’s one of my favorite players in the league.”
White’s found himself in NBA headlines in recent days, as Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson surprisingly called White a top-five player in the NBA.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla responded to Atkinson’s remarks by pointing to advanced analytics (where White presumably shows favorably) being more or less inaccessible to the basketball media.
White’s attributes aren’t “commercialized” (Mazzulla’s terminology), which is a big reason why he’s always flying under the radar. But ball knowers have always lauded White for his substantial impact on winning.
More NBA: Bill Simmons Shares Unexpected Baylor Scheierman-Jayson Tatum Theory