San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich isn't surprised to see Derrick White excelling with the Boston Celtics.
White was selected by the Spurs in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. The 28-year-old guard spent four-and-a-half seasons in San Antonio before being sent to the C's ahead of the 2022 trade deadline.
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Before Sunday's Celtics-Spurs matchup, Popovich spoke highly of White's work ethic and his growth as a player since coming to Boston.
"Derrick's a really special case of someone over time figuring out that he belongs," Popovich said. "He started out in a small college situation, obviously, and matriculated to a Division I school. And then we got him. And in development, he was just outstanding. He spent a lot of time before and after practices and summer leagues and learning how to play. You could see he had the size at that position to do it.
"And the immediate thing that you could see was that he had an instinctive nose for the game. He understood how to play. Most NBA players don't know how to play. He did. And he added skill development on top of that. He's been working a lot on his shot, ball handling, pick and roll, those sorts of things. And he just got better and better because he put so much time in. And then it was just a matter of convincing him that he did belong so that his confidence would grow. And you've seen that continue in his time here in Boston. He's a special young man."
Other than stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, one could make the case White has been the Celtics' most valuable player this season. He's the only player on the roster who hasn't missed a game. Through 74 games, he has averaged 12.3 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and playing stellar defense.
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White will be a key player for the C's as they look to return to the Finals and bring Banner 18 to TD Garden. For now, he'll look to lead Boston to its third straight win against his former team.