How Derrick White can be an X-factor for 2022-23 Celtics
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Forsberg: Can Derrick White emerge as an X-factor for Celtics? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
FiveThirtyEight unveiled its 2022-23 player projections on Tuesday and, beyond Jayson Tatum’s eye-popping MVP-caliber forecast, the most notable projection for the Boston Celtics might have been Derrick White.
With a 6.4 WAR (wins above replacement) projection, White is categorized as a “borderline All-Star,” the same designation received by Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. FiveThirtyEight projects White’s five-year market value at $110.1 million, or an average annual value well beyond the $16.4 million he’ll earn this season.
It should be noted that White has routinely been a FiveThirtyEight projection darling. His 8.8 WAR with Boston last season tied for 19th in the NBA, one spot behind new teammate Brown (8.9) and knotted with Smart (8.8). The next three players on that list for the 2022-23 season: Bam Adebayo, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James.
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White’s numbers were surely inflated a bit by Boston’s second-half surge in which the team steamrolled opponents and accelerated to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Factoring in his Spurs minutes pulls him down to a still-solid 6.6 WAR (which still would have slotted in the top 40 overall).
White averaged 11 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds over 27.4 minutes in 28 regular-season appearances for Boston. His playoff production was a bit of a roller coaster. White scored 21 points and was a plus-25 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Warriors but was a minus-87 over the final five games of the series while struggling to find his shot.
The question is, how much more comfortable will White be after a full offseason with the Celtics and a chance to be alongside his teammates from the start of camp? Last season had to feel like a whirlwind, especially while welcoming his first…
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Source : yahoo
