![\"Philadelphia](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/3PTm1dH6SOb2XS9N6isZl-WZCNY=\/0x0:5016x3344\/1310x873\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_image\/image\/72752486\/1719483139.0.jpg\")
The Celtics guard has been overshadowed by trade buzz, but he\u2019s still elite.<\/p>\n
The Jrue Holiday trade consumed all of the attention surrounding the Boston Celtics<\/a> at the end of the summer. Boston managed to replace the defensive presence of Marcus Smart while also adding a guy who shoots near-40% from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n But they already had that on the roster.<\/p>\n Amidst all the chaos of the Celtics\u2019 trade-filled summer, Derrick White was somehow lost in the shuffle. Debates regarding Holiday\u2019s starting spot and Kristaps Porzingis\u2019 potential impact have overshadowed the fact that Boston has another All-Defensive, three-point sniper on the roster.<\/p>\n While Holiday was named to the All-Defensive First Team last year, White made the All-Defensive Second Team. Holiday shot 38.4% from deep on 6.1 attempts per game; White shot 38.1% on 4.8 attempts.<\/p>\n The addition of Holiday into Boston\u2019s system was met with widespread praise and relief, and rightfully so, as the Celtics had solidified their depth at the point guard position. But to act as if White wasn\u2019t fully ready to assume the role is amnesic.<\/p>\n It was just a few months ago that the Celtics named White their starting point guard. And just weeks before that, White was a top-2 player on the Celtics on any given night during the playoffs.<\/p>\n Most will recall his game-winning layup, but the memorable moment was encapsulated by a postseason run full of greatness and one that earned him the complete trust of the Celtics organization.<\/p>\n \u201cDerrick White is assuredly someone that the Celtics front office and coaching staff is very, very high on,\u201d Yahoo Sports\u2019 Jake Fischer told Sam LaFrance and I on the How \u2018Bout Them Celtics podcast<\/a> when asked about a potential extension.<\/p>\n In the Celtics\u2019 first preseason game, with a fully healthy rotation, White got the nod over Holiday in the starting lineup. And while Joe Mazzulla urged people not to read into his lineup decisions early on, White\u2019s place among the starters should not be cast aside because of the timing of the Holiday deal.<\/p>\n Holiday has the All-Star nods and a championship ring, but White is still as crucial as ever to the Celtics\u2019 short and long-term plans.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not necessarily sure if the starting lineup that had Jrue Holiday on the bench behind Derrick White, behind Al Horford, was just because Jrue was getting into the swing of things,\u201d said Fischer. \u201cClearly, Boston traded two first-round picks and two key rotation players from last year to go get Jrue Holiday. They value him. But that\u2019s not to mean they value Jrue Holiday more than Derrick White.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s kind of the picture I can paint from my standpoint of just how high the Celtics are on what he can do on both sides of the floor, across multiple positions, and being that guard next to Jaylen [Brown] and Jayson [Tatum].\u201d<\/p>\n White reminded people of his top-notch play on Wednesday night in the Celtics\u2019 second preseason win over the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>. He finished with 11 points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three blocks while shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n His shot-blocking ability put him on the map as one of the most impactful rim protectors in the league last year and by far the best shot-blocking guard in the league. Against Philadelphia, he used this skill to turn offense into defense, highlighting the best version of himself.<\/p>\n![\"Philadelphia](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/WvTFhZo7AEtN0Ik0jUISU_7vN94=\/400x0\/filters:no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/24999933\/1719482996.jpg\")
\n Photo by Brian Babineau\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/cite>
\n <\/figure>\n