Why Derrick White of the Celtics Is Not Worried About the All-Star Snub
The Celtics will have two representatives in Indiana at NBA All-Star weekend, but fans felt Derrick White should have made the cut in the coaches’ vote.
Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t pleased that White nor Kristaps Porzingis made the cut to represent the best team in the NBA. White has been a key contributor to the C’s run at the top and established himself as one of the best defensive players in the league.
However, All-Star chatter never was on the 29-year-old’s mind this season, and after the Celtics blew out the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden on Wednesday night, White was ready for relaxation during the team’s break.
“Just being in the conversation and hearing all that was good enough for me,” White told reporters, per Boston.com’s Khari Thompson. “I knew it was probably going to be a long shot, but to be in the conversation was cool.
“Obviously it would have been cool to play in the game. But I’m going to enjoy this time off, spend some time with my family, and try to get ready for the second half. I’m not too bummed out about it, but it was definitely cool to hear.”
White narrowly missed the cut finishing seventh among guards in the Eastern Conference. Scotties Barnes and Trae Young were chosen as injury replacements for Joel Embiid and Julius Randle, so White will have to wait until the end of the season for recognition like a second straight nod on the All-Defensive Team.
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“I’m Just Here To Help Us Win” Kristaps Porzingis Shines For First-Place Celtics, Maintains Positive Outlook After All-Star Exclusion
The Boston Celtics are currently placed first in the Eastern Conference and for the season they are 43-12. They have recently defeated the Brooklyn Nets with a concluding score of 136-86. The Nets are 21-33 for the season.
One of the players garnering attention from the Celtics squad is Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian power forward who was picked in the 2015 NBA Draft in the first round as the fourth overall pick was not included in the All-Star selection this season.
Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown will be moving forward as they were selected from the top-notch squad. Porzingis is averaging 20.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and two blocks per game. He was selected by the New York Knicks and played with them from 2015-2019.
He was with the Dallas Mavericks from 2019 to 2022. The 2018 NBA All-Star then joined the Wizards for one year and in 2023 was traded to the Celtics. Porzingis expressed himself after the Nets win and as per SI, “I came here with an open mind. I’m just here to help us win”.
He further continued, “Coming in, I understood this is, we’re a championship-caliber team, and what is expected is to win, or the goal is to win. And coming in here, there are things that are being done differently and on a much higher standard than on other teams that I’ve been on.”
“From (the) top down, it’s a really high-level organization. And us as players, we feel that, and we know that we have to show up each and every night. There are many small things I can point out. But overall, I would say it’s been, as somebody said earlier, I haven’t stopped smiling being here. I’ve enjoyed being here so much, and to be in this kind of organization, playing for these kind of fans, it’s unreal.”
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