During Friday night’s victory over the Phoenix Suns, the Boston Celtics made history by passing the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors for the most total three-pointers in a single season. This impressive accomplishment rightfully made plenty of headlines, however, Celtics guard Derrick White also made history in this game by becoming the first player to record at least 250 three-pointers and 75 blocks in a season. White’s two-way brilliance has been key to the Celtics’ success. Let’s further explore White’s recent milestone and overall impact.
Derrick White, with his first three-pointer tonight, became the first player in NBA history with at least 250 three-pointers and 75 blocks in a season!
— Dick Lipe (@DickLipe) April 5, 2025
Derrick White Makes History in Win Over the Suns
A Week Full of History for White
Earlier in the week during Monday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, White passed Isaiah Thomas for the most made threes by a Celtic in a season. Notably, White was in a race with teammates Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard for this record. Reaching two milestones both at a franchise and league level in the same week is incredibly impressive. Additionally, it’s only fitting that these records highlight White’s two-way skill set. White’s combination of three-point shooting and shot-blocking is unique.
White’s Two-Way Impact
As a spot-up shooter and versatile defender White has been key to Boston’s success over the past few seasons. However, he has never been more impactful than this season. On a career-high 9.1 three-point attempts White is shooting a stellar 38.2 percent while averaging a career-high 16.4 points. White’s combination of high volume and efficiency is a rarity.
Moreover, White ranks fourth in the league for total made threes and fifth for three-point attempts. White’s shooting presence is a crucial part of the Celtics’ offense; they run a ton of drive-and-kick actions through Tatum and Jaylen Brown, so having an elite shooter in White is a security blanket. White has also been one of the league’s most effective fourth-quarter performers. His consistency and elite shooting are crucial for the Celtics. Beyond his shooting, White’s connective playmaking abilities and high basketball IQ are essential to the Celtics’ offense.
White’s defensive impact has also been key to the Celtics’ success. He is both a disruptive off-ball roamer and an elite on-ball stopper. White averages 1.1 blocks per game and leads all guards in total blocked shots. Furthermore, White is tied with Michael Jordan for the most blocked shots by a guard per game in league history. He is a perfect fit for the Celtics’ versatile defensive scheme. At times, White has played a center role on defense due to his rim protection abilities.
The Celtics just used Derrick White as a center, and it was incredible to watch pic.twitter.com/oCE3XMEq0V
— Jack Simone (@JackSimoneNBA) February 26, 2025
Notably, White ranks in the 92nd percentile for estimated defensive plus-minus and posts a 44 defensive field goal percentage. Considering his versatility and lockdown on-ball defense White has a strong case as the Celtics’ most important defender. Ultimately, as the Celtics aim to repeat as champions White’s contributions will continue to be key.
Photo credit: © Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images
