Welcome back to installment #2 of Giving Flowers, a series where we dive into the intricacies behind a dominant Celtics title run. This series can be consumed in any order, but you may enjoy starting with the introductory piece on Jaylen Brown.
On the docket today is an NBA champion, gold medalist and without a doubt, the best shot blocking guard in the NBA. Please join me in a round of applause for Derrick White.
Derrick is the king of doing all of the little things that contribute to winning, but don’t always find their way on the stat sheet. That’s not to say he doesn’t do his fair share of stat sheet stuffing. He’s not ½ of the Stock Exchange for nothing!
Pool Photo-Imagn Images
White has a genuine gift as a shot blocker. There are countless times where he makes a play that never feels possible. He’ll block a center that’s backing him down, swat a speedy guard looking to shake him in isolation, or rotate to meet a bouncy wing at the rim.
There are a ton of nuances to Derrick’s ability, you don’t just luck into the type of production he’s had stacking up rejections. Here’s a fun fact: According to StatMuse, Derrick White is currently 22nd all-time in blocks by a guard with 366. On that list, he sits between Russell Westbrook and Magic Johnson, despite playing 744 and 456 fewer games than them respectively. A similar level of output this season could see him join his colleague Jrue Holiday in the top-15.
Narrowing the scope a bit, I want to shine some light on White’s brilliance in one specific aspect of his shot blocking ability: the rearview contest. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like.
Picture this: You’re attempting to switch lanes on the highway. You’ve checked your mirrors, now it’s time to make the move. The moment you begin to creep over, a driver appears out of nowhere and they’re honking at you, unrelenting and longer than it should be. They were hiding in your blind spot, but you probably should’ve looked over your shoulder.
Derrick White doesn’t honk:
A rearview contest becomes especially useful in pick-and-roll scenarios where the defense is in drop coverage. The goal–and potential weakness–of that particular coverage is that it forces teams to lean on pull-up jump shots. Now there are matchups, and sometimes players, that thrive on…
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