When Brad Stevens traded for Derrick White on the 2022 commerce deadline, it was met by some outdoors skepticism. The Celtics dealt some seemingly vital capital for the guard, together with a first-round choose. But Stevens knew lengthy earlier than the commerce that White was precisely what the Celtics wanted.
“We’ve thought for years that Derrick was a really good fit with our best players,” Stevens mentioned upon buying White in 2022. “He is a superb defender. He simply makes the precise play on offense time and again and over. He’s a man that solely cares about profitable, that may do all the little issues. …
“He doesn’t need to do anything to be on the highlights to really, really impact winning. … We felt really fortunate to get a guy like that on a long contract that we think is a perfect fit for our best players.”
Sound acquainted?
Nearly two years later, White has confirmed to be precisely the match Stevens envisioned. He emerged as one of many Celtics’ most dynamic and beneficial gamers final season, and has taken his recreation to new heights this season, a lot in order that he’s now even getting authentic All-Star consideration.
Could Stevens see that ascension coming?
“I don’t think I would have put a ceiling on him,” Stevens mentioned this week. “I believed – and I feel we mentioned this after we received him nonetheless a few years (in the past), each time that was – like, it’s going to be a transition for him. He’s a very conscientious individual. He’s by no means been a high-usage, get-out-my-way, I’m-gonna-make-every-play kind of man or mindset and so there was gonna be a bit of transition. And one of many causes we traded for him was he had all these years left on that deal and we knew he was going to suit for then and down the street.
“I just love being around him. Like, I’m really happy for him. I think that, again, we would never have put a ceiling on anybody like that, but it’s fun to see him recognized for how good he is. He’s really good. The way he impacts basketball games is really special.”
White got here in eighth amongst Eastern Conference guards within the first replace of All-Star fan voting that was launched on Thursday. It’s extremely unlikely he might be named a starter, however a reserve position may very well be on the desk even amongst a stacked group of guards within the East. The All-Star reserves are chosen by coaches, however Stevens – a former coach – doesn’t plan on making an additional plea for White, although he did notice that he wish to see extra reserves on the All-Star groups.
“No one is watching more film than those 14 coaches and the video coordinators they’re sitting in there with making those decisions,” Stevens mentioned. “So I received some emails, I received some telephone calls. I at all times type of felt like that was like, ‘I know I watched this my whole life.’ …
“I think everybody knows our guys are really good. When I was voting for All-Star, my tiebreaker was winning. So if our team is playing really well throughout the rest of this month, then our tiebreaker may come into play. But I think that ultimately, it’s hard. There’s only what, seven guys that they vote for. Because there’s 12 – is there still 12? What they should do is add to it, take 13 or 14 people instead of 12. But I think we have several guys that are candidates.”
Valuable expertise
Before he turned the Celtics’ head coach and he was nonetheless an assistant, Joe Mazzulla interviewed with Danny Ainge for the Jazz’s head-coaching emptiness. He took a couple of classes from that course of.
“One, never wear a suit ever again,” Mazzulla mentioned. “I wore a suit and I was most uncomfortable. Really pissed that I did that. Useless.”
There was additionally one reply he gave to a query that he thought was the distinction in not getting the job, which finally went to former Celtics assistant Will Hardy.
“They asked me a particular question that I wasn’t quite ready to answer,” Mazzulla mentioned. “It was like, ‘Do you think at a young age, you can run an organization?’ And I knew I could but I didn’t give off the answer that I needed to give to get the job, and so kind of going through that process helped me articulate my strengths and what I think I could do. And it was a good process to have to go through.”
A couple of months later, after Ime Udoka was immediately suspended on the eve of coaching camp, Mazzulla was higher ready when the identical query got here up with Stevens.
“And I just said, ‘Yes,’” Mazzulla mentioned. “That should have just been more simple. Like, ‘Yes.’ So the same question came about and I said, ‘Yeah.’ But going through that process with Utah is what gave me a little bit of the affirmation and a little bit of the process. Any time you go through an interview and you don’t get it, you’re able to take what went well and what didn’t. And you get more information from that.”
Stepping up
Stevens revealed on Thursday that one want the Celtics could goal at subsequent month’s commerce deadline could be a “big wing” off the bench. He acknowledged that it may come internally with somebody already on the roster, and that he’ll be evaluating that place over the following month. Joe Mazzulla thinks any of them may step up for that position.
“It just depends on the night, the lineup, the situation,” Mazzulla mentioned. “Every guy on the roster has done their job when their name has been called. It’s just a matter of staying ready, but they all have to be ready to fill any type of role that we need.” …
Al Horford sat out Friday’s recreation towards the Jazz – the primary of a back-to-back earlier than the Celtics face the Pacers for a two-game collection on Saturday and Monday – attributable to relaxation.
Source: www.bostonherald.com