Derrick White on Boston’s Winning Strategy, OKC’s Young Core, Defending Foul Baiters and More

Derrick White on Boston’s Winning Strategy, OKC’s Young Core, Defending Foul Baiters and More

Welcome to the old man of the three with JJ reck and Tommy alter brought to you by 342 Productions this is episode 199 Derek white always good catching up with Derek uh Tommy the uh Boston Celtics fans out there listening to this um I just want to acknowledge that last year

When we had Derek on I brought up the fact that he was shooting 44% on threes he subsequently uh went into a little bit of a shooting slump for a while it it evened out in the end uh I got blamed for that so coming into this interview I

Was aware to not mention what he was shooting from three and I should have said something to you preemptive apology I’m sorry just I don’t know how the next six weeks are going to go but I’m sorry right now not g to say I’m not going to

Say what Derek said when we brought up the three point splits I just love how I Lov his response I love how where he was this he knows what’s going on Derek White Checks Celtics Twitter apparently he knows what’s going on he’s the nicest guy ever he’s great he’s great and he’s

Playing great it’s amazing it’s like the you know uh it’s it good guys win with him and I think we we talked about we get into uh you know your Love Fest for him and you’ve been probably the most high-profile champion of his um but just

His impact you know you spelled it out about as well as you could last week but just his impact with this team is unbelievable yeah uh get to do a lot of stuff with Derek uh you know you you always enjoy having players on a second time uh cuz they’re more comfortable and

Derek gave uh a great interview had some really insightful stuff some great stories we’ll get to Derrick in a second but first our draftking sports book segment I do want to talk about the western conference right now which uh is just loaded uh and a couple upstarts at

The top of the conference as of today the Minnesota Timberwolves with the number one one seed Oklahoma City with the second Seed Oklahoma City of course one of two teams one of three teams sorry that are top five in offensive and defensive efficiency along with the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia

76ers I want to focus a little bit on where we are right now at essentially the 32 to 34 game Mark of the Season almost to the halfway point and I want to focus specifically on three teams who as of today are not top eight seats

And that is the Phoenix Suns the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors and I was thinking about you know coming into the show uh teams that have disappointed I I think that’s fair and and we are not a negative podcast we are a positive podcast we have given love to the

Timberwolves we’ve given love to OKC done a number of segments on the Philadelphia 76ers we talked about the Pacers the magic all these teams that maybe have exceeded expectations and and the the Phoenix Suns and the Lakers and the Warriors have underperformed relative to expectations for sure I think any any Warriors person

That organization any fan would say if you told them in January 2024 they’re sitting outside of the playin game they’re not going to be thrilled at that the high expectations Golden State of course got up to a great start Phoenix making the trade for Bradley Beal having

This big three uh they to some degree I think get uh what I would call a little bit of a pass given that we haven’t seen a huge sample size with the Suns uh with their three guys healthy um but just some some real inconsistency from them a

Number of their minimum players uh that you know they use to fill out the roster haven’t played played great uh Devin Booker after a really hot start uh has has not been as efficient especially scoring the basketball playing in that point guard role um and then you have

The Lakers who you know won the inseason tournament but frankly have just not been a good offensive team I was going to ask about they’ve just not been a good offensive team do is there is there besides the shooting is there something that is that is noticeable with this

Team this year that because they had similar problems last last year and then it seems like the playoffs came around and everything was magically fixed um is that obviously to get into the playoffs but is that something that is there something this year that feels different about the makeup of this group

Offensively for them I you know I it’s funny because I I think sometimes when you have uh certain teams um the the margin for error is small and so when this team was put together last year and we we again and I hesitate to use March and early April because of the way

Certain teams aren’t necessarily playing well certain teams like Denver last year take their foot off the gas because they’ve secured a seed so there’s a lot of noise with data in March and April but the Lakers were the the second best defensive team uh they went 16 and seven

After the trade uh they they got to the Conference Finals so I I think your expectations were that they were going to be right there in the mix they they don’t have a huge margin for error offensively specifically if they aren’t shooting the ball well uh they they

Really do rely on LeBron and AD and all of that is coming in the paint and you see like last night with with the heat uh really just selling out and just overloading the court uh strong side all that stuff and just grinding the Lakers offense to a if they can’t if LeBron

James can’t get out and trans transition yeah right and that’s we need 10 to 14 points that way uh we need you know 40 to 40 to 45 points in the paint created by LeBron and AD and then we’ve got to you know shoot somewhere near League

Average and and they’ve just been a bad shooting Team all season the warriors with the war with the Warriors in particular we’ve spent we spent a decent amount of time talking about them what what’s the fix for this this is team it’s a team that should not miss you

Think should not miss the playing game what do what do you think uh what do you think the next month looks like well we we had Steve Kerr on Christmas Day I thought it was interesting when we were asking about Brandon paj jimsky the rookie from Santa Clara and his play

Recently heading into that game and then of course he had a great Christmas Day game Kerr was like uh he’s no he’s our guy he’s going to start going forward yeah um I I don’t know if anybody saw Klay Thompson’s comments uh Prett interesting really introspective where

He he talked about this conversation he had with Steve Kerr where Kerr was basically like you need to enjoy the last chapter of your career and right now there’s a lot of anger there’s a lot of negative energy happening all the time and that affects the group and I I

Think sometimes and and this was my experience again I didn’t have a 10-year run with a core group and there has been some guys in and out but for the most part they’ve had a lot of guys outside of the big three there for a number of

Years and I I think sometimes what happen s with a group is uh the energy changes for players the energy changes for the group and the energy you’re bringing and I’m not this is not a knock on clay at all you can point to Draymond Green in the Jordan pool incident last

Year coming off the championship you can point to all the personal stuff that has H happened with Andrew Wiggins you you know this is not an this is not a like an analytical debate here yeah this is really just about the energy that people

Bring to a group and I I think the one guy you know in that core group that has been very consistent at least from the outside and at least when you talk to people internally with the Warriors of Step you know not just the play I’m talking about the energy right the

Attitude day-to-day the joy of the game and it hasn’t been reciprocated by a lot of guys and I think that just weighs on you when you’re with the same group uh night toight and I said this a few weeks ago and I’m still willing to hold out

That at some point this team will click at some point when draymond’s back and and hopefully he’s playing at a high level this team will clict we’ve seen enough I think from Jonathan kaminga yeah and from Brandon paj jimsky that you’re like okay there’s there’s a rotation there Dario sarich on a minimum

Deal has been awesome for them relative to to to contract value his performance has been great there’s enough there some of the stuff that’s interesting to me and and I I don’t I don’t want to get too far into the Warriors here but some of the stuff that’s interesting to me is

The late game stuff you know the the the clutch games they played in a ton of them they played in 26 now and they played in 33 games they played in 26 clutch games they’re now 500 in those clutch games and I think some of some of

The the the win loss right it can go either way a couple plays come down to it some of it is just like a size thing for me and that’s this is not stuff is made more clutch shots I mean over the last 10 years than anybody just off the

Top of head do we have do we have a I don’t have the clutch shots on him but you know he he’s he’s been great in the fourth quarter this year like some of it though is just size down the stretch like bigger wings uh you know offensive

Possessions they they they don’t have that on either side and I I some of that is that to me uh before we go one other team I wanted to ask you about was the Houston Rockets yeah 17 and 15 uh ninth and net rating fourth and D I think

There was a with the free agent signings with eay there was a lot of you know excitement about where this team was possibly going to go uh heading into the year but at this point now do we have enough of a sample size to say this is a

Team that we may be talking about you know competing in a first- round playoff series or something like that is there something besides just changon who’s obviously been incredible um that is that we can look at as like okay this is this team is a this is a real you know I

Don’t want to I don’t want to I don’t want to discredit what they’ve done I don’t want to discredit their team because I do think they have a really good identity yeah uh and it starts defensively uh shenon has been awesome I I called him as one of the breakout

Players for the year uh I’m glad that NBA fans that aren’t Houston Rockets fans are are this gu becoming a household name but I I just think you look at the top 11 in the Western Conference all right Golden State let’s say they’re clicking I would Envision I

Would Envision them having a chance to win a first round series the Lakers I would Envision them at their best they have a chance to win a first round series Phoenix at their best has a chance to win a first round series Dallas with Luca and Kyrie they’re

They’re in they’re in a game yeah they’re in a game they’re in a series uh Pelicans when they’re healthy and and their two guys and and their their star role players are playing their best they have a chance in a series Daren fox has been all NBA again they have a chance in

A series the lake the Clippers rather who I think uh have a real chance to to be a western conference Contender here uh they’re good Denver the defending Champion then you have OKC in Minnesota so like yeah Houston’s been really good but like of all those teams I named

They’re not yeah I would say in terms of playoff success I’m probably placing them at like 11th right now and that’s not that’s not a knock on them I want to do this real quick before we uh get to Derek white you know this is interesting so Golden State Warriors the Lakers and

The Phoenix Suns they opened on Western Conference Championship odds as the third the second third and fourth highest odds after the Denver Denver Nuggets to win the Western Conference the nuggets have remained largely unchanged throughout the year The Warriors started at plus 650 they’re now at plus

1600 uh the Lakers at plus 750 they’re now at plus 1100 the Phoenix Suns interestingly enough started at plus 450 had the second best odds and they they’re largely unchanged they’re at plus 550 now so the betters and the and the sports books are still believing in

The Phoenix Suns but a lot of movement the one team that has has moved up uh is is the LA Clippers uh went from plus 1,000 to plus 550 uh they’re now tied with the Suns for the second best odds after the Denver Nuggets um so lots of

Movement in terms of the line for Western Conference Champion uh we we talked about having 12 teams that Utah Jazz I’ll mention them because they’ve played great as of late 1 seven of their last 10 they’re now 16 and 19 had a crazy game last night against the

Pistons uh it’s a gauntlet man even Memphis with job back like like there’s just not there not a lot of there’s not a lot of nights you’re I know it’s the NBA but not the nights you’re walking into an arena being like Oh yeah we got

This tonight like 100% uh I I totally agree and you know with with the Knicks uh making that move for OG I think their roster makes more now uh they were a little guard heavy uh I do think they’ll Miss quickly uh in terms of his scoring

With the second unit and the ability to run offense through him it’s going to kind of change their rotation we saw that last night in the game I called Randall subbing out early so that he can have the run with the second unit to start the second and fourth quarter uh

But even even the East Miami’s been great Indie can can win any game on night tonight orl a clear identity on the defensive end of course the the top three Boston Milwaukee Philly uh Cleveland who’s had a number number of injuries like the East is is solid too

It’s it’s the league is I mean outside of the bad teams the the league has 24 teams now not to spoil and we should get to the not to spoil anything Derrick said but as you’ve said a million times in the show and as he Echoes there’s

Just a lot of good players there’s a lot tent there there not like there’s four good players and the rest of the team is just there there’s a lot of good players so you’re you are going to you’re going to they’re going to be spread out um one

Thing uh for anybody that that listened to the Tim legler interview um over the holiday week um we had a segment that we were going to do and we just we we ran out of time we went deep on a couple of the topics and we ran out of time uh Tim

Played on uh one of the worst teams in NBA history a Dallas Mavericks team in 9394 the year before they got Jason Kidd in the draft that started the season 2 and 39 um I was on an Orlando team that had multiple double digit losing streaks

My last year after Dwight got traded and Stan left uh we’re going to do a deep dive on what it’s like being on bad teams uh on next weeks old man of the three things uh and I already know that Tim legler has some great stories from that Dallas Mavericks year draftking

Sportsbook is giving new customers an exclusive offer just for NBA fans download the draftking Sportsbook app now and use code JJ new customers can get $150 instantly in bonus bets for betting $5 plus score NBA league pass on us only on draftking Sportsbook with code JJ the crown is yours gambling problem call

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Expire 168 hours after issuance League Pass reward issued as promo code to redeem subscription and must be claimed by January 15th 20124 see draftkings.com promos for eligibility and deposit restrictions terms and responsible gaming resources uh this has been our draftking sports book segment on the western conference let’s get to our

Interview with Boston Celtics star/ rooll player Derek white Derek I just want to apologize to you I’m going to tell you why because I know that deep down you don’t like extra attention and I feel like between my top 100 rant which I know they asked you

About and then my my mistake of a tweet on Christmas day saying that you were an all star feel like I’ve brought too much attention your way so I’m sorry it’s all good I appreciate all the love and support it’s an official man crush I would say I think this exist

This definitely existed last year but we it’s we’ve reached another level it just gets it gets more and more you know there’s nothing wrong there’s nothing wrong with admitting that you’re a fan of a player there’s nothing wrong with that I’m a fan I’m a fan I love I’ve

Loved it um Derek I wanted to ask you we I actually want to start uh with the game last night we’re recording this Wednesday morning uh the night after uh you guys lost to the Thunder um have been so impressed with them uh and their play recently eight- one in their last

Nine they’ve beaten you guys the Timberwolves the number one seed in the west right now they’ve beaten the Nuggets twice in that stretch one of three teams to rank in the top five in offensive and defensive efficiency you know having played them them a crazy environment crazy game uh just your

Overall takeaway from the Thunder you’ve been in deep playoff runs how close is this team uh in terms of being just a legit Contender I think I think they’re the real deal um I mean you just look at their their starting five I mean obviously was sh at the at the top and

Um they just do a great job of uh moving around him creating space and then he just gets to his spots um seems like whenever he wants to and then um around them they just got shooting and guys that can drive make plays and uh defensively they they do a lot of things

With active hands and um they create a lot of turnovers so um I mean obviously they’re a young team but I think they they got all the makings of a team that could uh be dangerous in the playoffs and I think they just keep getting

Better and better so it was a fun game obviously uh some things we got a lot of things we got to learn about but I think it was a fun environment what were your first thoughts on Chad uh Chad Chad’s nice uh I mean we just played the Spurs

Before so um it was kind of like uh just seeing all these young bigs uh just be able to do so many different things on the court and I mean he he had a couple big shots on the stretch it seems like he’s not afraid of the moment and um I

Think he just uh continu to getting more sh of himself and it’s it’s good to see I wanted to ask you about just guarding in today’s NBA and you bring up the Thunder and their spacing and their drives and their ball movement I think they’re one of the most uh fascinating

Teams to watch um because they outside of probably Isaiah Joe they don’t necessarily have like movement shooting and so but they’re number one in the league in three-point percentage not necessarily on the highest volume they’re not they’re not chucking 55 threes of games like you guys are

Um but but they are are one of the hardest teams to guard uh because of the spacing the driving kick C has sort of unlocked their offense with his ability to stretch the floor um and there’s a lot of discourse you probably don’t pay attention to this but there’s a lot of

Discourse right now uh around the NBA and scoring is way up and everybody claims the there’s these rules that favor offensive players which I’m going to get into in a second your perspective you’re out there night tonight guarding elite players what’s your sort of perspective on defense in today’s NBA

And and what makes it so hard to get stops I think just start with I mean everybody just so talented um you got a guard let’s start there Tommy just start there let’s that hold on hold on break this out no hold on I want to start there because everybody Derek

Sorry to interrupt you everybody is like looking for these reasons oh it’s the refs oh it’s the rules or we could just say these are guys Shay is a guy right Jason Tatum is a guy the these guys are insanely talented okay keep going let’s start there yeah definitely start there

Um I mean you got to guard most of the guys step two outside the three-point line um and then this the spacing nowadays with basically everybody on the floor that’s able to shoot um you just just adds more room for for those guys to to get downhill or do whatever

Whatever they want so the spacing and then obviously they they say the hand shags and stuff but I feel like it’s still more physical than people give uh credit and so um just trying to keep your body in front um be solid I mean everybody’s kind of so smart now too is

Like they know uh different angles and how to get to their spots and when we get to their spot then the pump fake and the step throughs and different footwork so um it’s just trying to be solid uh I mean they’re great players they’re going to make shots they’re gonna they’re

Going to get their numbers uh but you just got to try to be solid and make them work for it for 48 minutes the NBA season is in full swing and when I can’t get enough of the action on the court I spice things up betting on draftking

Sportsbook an official partner of the NBA right now customers can bet five bucks and get $200 instantly in bonus bets I’ll be looking at this Miami Heat at Phoenix Suns on Friday night the Heat playing great basketball on this West Coast Swing and the Suns looking to get

Their season headed in the right direction download the draftking Sportsbook app with code JJ new customers can bet just five bucks on the NBA and get 200 instantly in bonus bets only on draftking sports book with code JJ the crown is yours gambling problem call 1800 Gambler or visit www.1 1800

Gambler. net in New York call 8778 Hope n or text Hope and Y 467 369 in Connecticut help is available for problem gambling call 8887895118 Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance see dk.com basketball for eligibility and deposit restrictions terms and responsible gaming resources how cognizant are you when you’re guarding a great player of of the foul baiting um you know great example of that is uh last year in uh round one

Against uh the Atlanta Hawks you’re you’re matched up against Trey Aon and he’s a guy who has a a real knack for drawing fouls how cognizant you know night to night in these matchups are you thinking don’t foul don’t foul don’t foul all the time uh I feel like it’s

Like the start of every um film session is uh I mean obviously a great player but gets to the line nine 10 times so um if you’re able to cut that in half and just limit those attempts um one they don’t get a rhythm of just seeing the

Ball going from the free throw line and then two you just making them make tough twos or make them make tough shots so um you can keep them off the line and just be disciplined with your hands and staying down and whatever it might be

You just gota you got to find a way to keep them off that line so they don’t get that Rhythm and uh get those easy points which turn like a 25o game to a 35 Point game you bring up something that I think is really interesting uh

You used uh I think the phrase players are so smart and they just really have a knack for drawing fouls and you know one of the things that I think gets overlooked in all of these uh Twitter montage videos is uh you know Joe lambid is really smart uh Trey young is really

Smart I I think historically speaking uh offensive players that generate a lot of free throws are very intelligent about drawing fouls that you you bring up the angles you know there there’s so many videos I see on Twitter Joel embiid left- hang dribble and he goes into his

Jump shot and if you put your hand in the cookie jar he’s drawing a foul he gets into your airspace and he draws a foul and it’s a foul like it’s not like the refs are fa favoring him it’s not like he and he makes that shot right now he’s shooting

52% on mid-range jump shots so like there’s not really an answer one more rant I’m just gonna say this every single time and Derek I’m gonna I I want your perspective on this because you’re doing it every night everybody says the rules favor the offensive players can you point to the

Rule I want to know what the rule is because I can give you one two three four five six rules six rules that in the last few years have favored the defense CP used to get an outlet pass and run in front of the big and fall

Down can’t do that anymore KD’s rip through not a shooting foul anymore Trey young used to stop in front of the defender when he got them in jail in a pick and roll in drop coverage and jump backwards can’t do that anymore not a not not a defensive foul they’ve cleaned

Up the leg kick rule when you contest shots almost always an offensive foul now the shot fake if you jump out of your airspace it’s not a defensive foul anymore Dwayne Wade used to get eight free throws a game doing that so again these rules are not F James Harden

Downhill you put your arm on him he’s going through your arm and trying to collect the ball that’s not a foul anymore I just named six rules that favor the defense what rule favors the offense I want to know I want to know yeah I mean I feel

Like three couple years ago like it was it was hard to play defense because of all those different things that offense players could do but now like you just really got to be disciplined um anytime you put your hand and in the cookie jar like you said like these guys are going

To sweep down arms through and get the call um and so you just really got to be disciplined getting your hands out um guarding with your chest I mean obviously the great players they they know what they’re doing and they’re going to get the calls and so you just

Got to be extra disciplined in those time and try to make them just finish over you um consistently over a long period of time I mean I feel like the stars like they’re going to make shots and everybody always sees that but um the more disciplined you can be of

Forcing them to just make those tough shots consistently over the time and not just get the free throws um that’s that’s really how you can slow them down in the long run do you ever do you ever get discouraged when you do play good defense and the star player just has a

Night I mean like last night with with Shay is an example I I look I I know not all the buckets were on you I’m not saying you specifically but you he was five for seven against Drew who is one of the greatest defensive players in the

NBA I think Tatum was the only guy that really slowed him down he was one for five against Tatum are you ever discouraged uh when when a great offensive player like a shay or like a Trey or like a halberton just has it going uh I mean I feel like the the ones

That I can control like is when he got past me and made the layup like those are the ones I’m like I gota be better than that um but I mean if I if I play good defense he hits a fade away jumper over me I mean I I remember my first

Couple years I was like I was like I used to get discouraged about it like get upset and Demar used to look at me was like these guys are good like I don’t know what to tell you and so like ever since then I’m just like I mean

They’re good like they’re gonna make shots it’s the the ones that I can’t control the the layups or whatever it might be that that really frustrate me more than playing great defense they make a tough shot what have you learned about Drew as a teammate versus an

Opponent in terms of just his approach defensively Drew is amazing uh I mean he’s one my favorite teammates uh he just do whatever whatever the team needs him to do he’ll he’ll just go out there and do it I mean we’ve had him guarding point guards we have a guard in centers

Like uh just his strength and physicality is just second to none in the NBA and uh just seeing how like guys react when when Drew holidays on them it’s it’s pretty cool to see night in and night out um I mean he just he’s special on both ends of the floor but uh

Defensively it’s it’s kind of crazy how one through five like we put them on someone and we won’t even blink do you do you does it ever confuse you does Joe moua’s defensive schemes ever confuse you like Drew guarding Joel and then he’s calling 14 where you’re switching

One through four 15 he’s switching one through five like even last night KP started on giddy like did how how much are you guys talking through that in a film session talking through that in walk through um and and obviously with you know interchangeable lineups and

Just the calls and stuff you guys don’t match up by position most nights yeah it’s it’s definitely confusing I feel like my first year like after I got traded I was just like what is going on like this is not how I’ve done it my whole career um but now that I’ve been

Here for a couple years like it’s kind of just normal now that the center is not on the center like and we just do different things like that and so uh just being able to be flexible um I feel like that’s a great thing about having

KP now is like uh he can do so many different things defensively that I mean he probably doesn’t get enough credit for and so uh he’s just learning and trying to figure it out and we’re trying to help him out like it’s it’s just different that really nobody really does

In the NBA except for us and so uh each game he’s on someone different he’s guarding the perimeter and still has to protect the paint for us so uh it’s it’s a lot it’s kind of confusing but it’s kind of fun too you bring up KP and we

We you know Tommy asked you about Drew um for you personally I’m going to ask you to talk about yourself for a second uh I know you’re uncomfortable with that the the offseason roster changes and bringing in uh KP first and then getting Drew uh the week before training

Camp started what have the roster changes done for you personally in terms of unlocking your game on both sides of the ball and and potentially also just your comfort level now being a Celtic where your first year you get traded uh at the deadline I we’re going to talk

About that in a second just how hard that is uh and then the second year new coach you guys make you know a change from emay to Joe uh and now just coming to this season a new roster but it’s it’s clear that the the pairing with Drew and then kp’s versatility has

Really unlocked something for you yeah um I mean obviously when when smart got traded it was like a shock and then I was just like oh there’s going to be a lot more uh opportunity and I’m going have to step up with with the ball in my

Hands compared to uh last year and then when we brought Drew along everybody was like I mean we we still need you to to be the same aggressive and how how we envisioned it before we got Drew so um just having both of those guys just

Spacing the floor and I feel like Drew’s just been like the ultimate teammate if like if I got to go going or something like he’ll he’ll be he’s willing to just stand in the corner and um just space the floor for us and make a play

Whenever he needs to so um just having a guy like that that will is willing to do that who’s an Allstar in this league and um just kind of gives me the the trust to make a play It’s kind of unlocks my my game a little bit and um I mean

Obviously when you’re playing with JT and JB they’re getting a lot of attention and then KP is getting so much attention that um it kind of makes the game easy for me and I’m just trying to make the right play with with your shooting your three-point shooting in

Particular you’re up to 42% oh Tommy just steal the question no Derek there’s a never mind I don’t want to put it out there I don’t want follow Boston Celtics fans Twitter Boston Celtics Twitter now Tomy just made a mistake I’m sorry I’m sorry to Boston Celtics Twitter I’m sorry I know

Explain this what is it it’s not gonna happen it’s not gonna happen yes what get into it no last year when we had Derek on he was shooting like and I brought it up and we talked about his shooting and then he he he had

A little bit of a slump for a little bit but he’s still shot great for the year okay I apologize I apologize to the Twitter in advance I want to just talk about this jump this year though because we when you even look where you were two

Years ago at at 30 31% it’s a significant it’s a significant leap and so you know how much of this is you how much of this is the team where do you where do you see in January for you as a shooter in general I probably just say

My my confidence right now is completely different from um when I first joined the team or even that whole season um like if I if I feel like I’m open and the team just Believes In Me to to take and make those shots and so um I feel like starting with confidence that

That’s definitely a big difference and then um I I’ve done a lot of work in the offseason and just trying to be more consistent with my jump shot and so uh just keeping my arc and staying in the shot more and just run and little things

Like that that I I’ve worked on a lot and really focused on in the offseason which is allowed me to to stay confident um if I feel like I got a good look or even if it’s a semi good look like the team Believes In Me to knock it down and

Uh it’s been it’s been a lot of fun I love when two things converge and we’re converging two things right now which is shooting threes and uh Boston Celtics Twitter and I forgot how mad they got there’s um it seems like every time you guys uh lose a game which is not

Often which I want to get to in a second but it every it seems like every time you guys lose a game uh there’s a there’s a part of the Boston Celtics Twitter is like ah they shoot too many threes um can you just kind of provide some

Insight and take us into the messaging that Joe has to the team Missoula ball right uh ball movement lot of assists lot of Threes but just the messaging that Joe has to the team about the type of shots that you guys want and and and truthfully whether or not the type of

Shots are sort of relegated to certain guys I mean it’s not like each game uh they’re like are you gonna get 15 shots um I think that’s just that’s the cool part about the team is you never really know who it’s going to be uh night in or

Night out I mean obviously JT and JB they’re going to get their touches and get their their shots but they’re doing a great job of just uh attracting so much attention and and kicking it out to us and I feel like that’s the majority of our threes um obviously there’s

There’s the one-on-one threes and and step back threes that happen throughout the game but I feel like the majority of our threes and our our looks our good looks um from good Shooters and so uh we just trust that we continue to get those good looks and our our Shooters continue

To get those looks like we’re going to win more than than we’re going to lose obviously there’s going to be games where um you don’t knock them down or you miss or timely makes or timely misses and so um it’s just trying to get good looks each and every time uh have

That spacing um I think KP has unlocked a new thing in our offense where if they switch like we could just throw it to him and he’s basically unguardable um and so uh just continue to have that spacing and then the freedom to to make

A play at The Rim um I think even JT JB posting up more this year has allowed them to get different looks and different things and so um obviously when the threes don’t go in it looks bad but I feel like we got a lot

Of a lot of different ways we can score now Derek you know I I I was joking when we started this about uh your your All-Star case and I I firmly believe that you have a legitimate All-Star case um after that tweet I presented some factual evidence

Of the impact on winning that you have and I I think when we talk about you know all star or all NBA or any of these Awards like there’s there there should be and there is uh a lot of concentration on Counting stats and in specifically uh you know points per game

Your impact I think goes beyond that and I’m curious about just developing the mindset around being an impactful player uh and and not necessarily that being just scoring the basketball every night when did that happen uh did you have to slide uh some ego aside to to sort of

Give up you know the idea of of being a one option or two option but just sort of that development whether it was in San Antonio or when you first got to Boston about that that two-way impact on winning I think it it definitely started

In San Antonio um I mean that’s kind of how I got into uh the rotation into the lineup was on the defensive end just trying to chase around the best players and make them work and then uh eventually as my offensive game just caught up to my defense and uh I mean

Every time I’m out there I’m just trying to help us win like I’m not I’m not really trying to score 20 I mean I I don’t even care if I get like 10 assists like I just want to help us win and I know there’s a bunch of little things

That don’t show up on the stat sheet that that help us help us win games and uh those are the things that I’m trying to do each and every night and so um I mean everybody was talking about it last year was like is it okay like you just

Stand in the corner I’m like I I’ll do whatever we need to do I mean I’m just thankful and I’m happy to be part of the Boston Celtics organization and a team that’s competing for championships like if I play in the fourth quarter if I

Don’t play if I get the ball if I I’m just going to be enjoyed I’m going to do whatever I can to help us win and um soon as I changed my mindset a little bit to that and not like oh like I didn’t I didn’t do what I wanted to do

Um it’s kind of made everything a lot better and B’s been a lot of fun especially the last couple years like I’m not too too worried game in game out like I used to have a bad game and it would affect me for 24 48 hours and now I’m just like

It’s all right I’m gonna bounce back next game and uh I’m just goingon to enjoy this game and do what I do so uh just changing my mindset a little bit to that it’s it’s really helped a lot I mean some of that is is your your

Your teammates right I I think it’s you know not even just this year but you know going back to uh two years ago when you guys made the the finals you know playing with a guy like Jason Tatum playing with with jayen brown uh of course this year adding Drew and and uh

KP um Al of course uh Rob Williams Malcolm last year who got six man of the year you know I think it’s there’s a different mindset around being on a team where you don’t feel like if if you don’t get 20 you’re going to lose right so I I think that’s that’s really

Interesting you guys before last night were 15- one with your starting lineup 15-2 after the Thunder loss you’re 24 and five uh in the games that you play just the night toight approach uh and mindset on on on being on such a good team and just having so many

Options a and the versatility that you guys have like going into a game uh does it get does it get boring does it get boring I GNA say it gets boring I mean everybody gives their best shot against us like when they see Boston Celtics on the schedule like they they’re getting

Up for those games they’re ready to go and so um we got to be ready to go just as much as they are so um I feel like everybody just getting up and bringing their level up here like is forcing us to do it every night and um that’s just

The type of culture that uh Joe’s been talking about since since day one and the mindset that we’ve had so um I want to say it gets boring but it definitely uh takes the stress off like I I need to score 30 or I need to score 20 or

Whatever or we got no chance like it could be anybody any given night and um I mean we’ve had games where five people scor 20 points like I don’t I don’t really know how many teams could say they can do something like that and um it could be anybody one through one

Through nine one through 10 and we just got so much depth and and talent from from top to bottom that uh some especially the guys off the bench get overlooked and uh they just make it easy for us I I feel like the Detroit game

Was a good example of to that to to your point I have a question for both of you guys what do you JJ made reference to this in his case for your All-Star bid last week but what do you think makes a good role player like are there traits

That are the traits that all good role players you’ve played with have in Comet o great question Tommy I’m very curious to hear dereck’s thoughts on this um I say number one you gotta get over yourself um it’s not about you uh there’s times where I won’t touch the

Ball for 10 10 possessions in a row and I just got to be ready to go for when I do get my opportunity so um it’s not about you out there uh obviously you got to defend you got to uh run and transition you got to be in the right

Spot but uh just always staying ready which is is not easy um everybody’s like oh you’re wide open make a shot like I haven’t touched the ball in uh 10 minutes like this is crazy but um just stay stay ready stay confident and then um be aggressive when when it’s your

Turn I think role player the the phrase just it it it there’s like a negative connotation with it there really is because I think you could make the argument that everybody is a role player right some players roles are to be the 1 a or 1B some players roles are to be the

Defensive stopper everybody has a role I think in the con in sort of the context of what Tommy’s asking about of course the role player the non-star right I think there’s a lot of role players that are stars I want to say that there’s a lot of role players that are stars I

Think the thing that generally jumps out to me and and of course anybody who’s listening to this can obviously hear this in the way Derrick’s talking but a a lot of great role players are just low maintenance and that’s I I think where it starts Derek talked about getting

Over yourself I think there’s uh there’s this balance that you have to have you have to have some level like all NBA players of irrational confidence you also have to have the balance of I’m going to have a healthy ego about what I want to do on the

Basketball court and recognize what my team needs we’ve heard dererk talk about that night tonight what does my team need and I then I think there’s a balance of knowing who you are embracing who you are as a player while also that desire for more that desire to

Get better and work on your craft like that those things have to meld together does that make sense Derek you know it’s like I I know who I am as a player that’s great I know what my team needs from me but I also want to keep getting

Better and I think the great role players they don’t get stuck in like one role Derek Derek was a great role player yeah I hate that word but Dereck was a great role player when the Celtics made their finals run Derek was a great role player last year Derek was a great great

Role player to start the season but he’s getting better he the the the game incrementally is is is getting better and I I think the great role players that’s what they do they keep getting better at the small then know you’re like oh wait a minute maybe this guy is

Like a star right where I think the the average role player is like all right this is my role this is what I’m going to do I’m going to go you know verticality at the rim and I’m going to catch lops and then you’re like 10 years

Later you’re like H guy’s the same same role same role never got any better right the great role players there’s that balance of like I know what the team needs but I’m also a I also have that IR rational confidence I also want to get better so I’m going to

Work on my craft and incrementally within a game I’m not going to do anything that deters from the team but that work is going to show itself and that’s what great role players do yeah I like that that uh you still got to have that rational confidence I

Mean that’s what I I learned from uh smart last year or since I’ve been in the Celtics like um anything he does he just got the confidence and like he succeed whether he means to or not and so uh just learning that and then like um just always wanted to get a little

Bit better so when when you the opportunity comes and the team needs you to make a play like you’re not nervous about it you’re not oh I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes like no like this is you are you’re in the NBA for a

Reason like uh you did some stuff in college where you were the guy or um stuff like that so like whenever it’s your turn your turn to to make a play and the team needs you to make a play you just got to be ready to do it so uh

It’s good like knowing who you are knowing what you do but also like having that confidence is like if the team needs me I’m ready a great example of that was the Raptor shot the other night right you know 14 dribbles behind the back step back over a contest there’s

Some irrational confidence Big Shot to the to the confidence Point um you’re you are fifth right now in clutch scoring uh and you’ve been a a great clutch score since you’ve gotten to Boston has your approach Chang at all uh in the last three minutes last four

Minutes or is basically this is you know business as usual just happens to be the end of the game um it definitely changes um I feel like at the end of the game I’m I’m really just focused on like we got to execute this play we got to get

The match up we want we got to get in the right spots um whether that whatever each game is a little bit different um what teams have what teams don’t have and just just be ready to go so um Joe’s giv me a lot of confidence and put the ball in my hands

On a lot of times at the end of games and I’m just trying to make the right play whether it’s me scoring or uh just hitting KP at the nail or giving JB the ball in space or um let JT do what JT does and so each game’s a little

Different and I’m not out there at the end game like I need to I got to score to help us win the game I’m just trying to make the right play and uh right now it’s it’s coming to me and I’m open I just got a knocked down shot uh Derek we

Touched on this a little bit when we had you on the show last season but I feel like right now would be a a nice time to revisit it you got traded uh to a team that was on a really good run uh you guys ended up going to the finals uh

When we had you on the show last time it was a couple months into last season you’ve now got a full season under your belt uh you know you you’ve got two full training camps here you know the the the time period and the adjustment of being

In traded in season and coming to A Team uh for a playoff run right you know there was no sort of guarantee that you guys were going to be a Conference Finals or a finals team uh back in 2022 but clearly that trade was made for a playoff run

What what what is your sort of perspective on that time period now the challenges and just the the things we’re talking about in terms of the confidence and comfort and and putting your imprint on a team that you’re joining midseason just the challenges of that yeah uh getting traded was was

Amazing and and hell all at once um I feel like on the court I was a step behind like am I supposed to be here uh offensively defensively like what does the team really want me to do and so I feel like my game was just a roller

Coaster up and down and then off the court uh my wife was seven months pregnant so we’re trying to figure out new doctors um where we’re going to live in Boston uh I remember moving moving into my house uh the day of game one of the playoffs and so like I’m unboxing

Stuff the whole playoff run trying to put together a nursery like um so much off the court stuff that was going on while I’m still focusing on on the court and so like it was just so much all at once that um I feel like it it affected

My play as as like a roller coaster um and so like now that I’ve had a chance to like look back and think about it like I I I just feel like I’ve growing so much more mentally because of it and um just having to deal with what

I had to deal with and like I think some people expect to be traded so they kind of prepare for it and I had no idea so um it was just a big shock and then life changes so fast and on the court off the court it was all amazing things and just

All was happening at once and um I think it just making every my day-to-day just a roller coaster you know that you could hire someone to build a nursery you’re good don’t let him give you sh for this he did this what he played he would do all this like

You could pay for somebody to fix this he wouldn’t do it dude I just wanted to build a crib I feel like that was you’re a good dad and a husband I’m only kidding you’re you’re a good man you’re a good man I remember there the day we

Did this renovation two two years took two years and it was a first game back we came back from All-Star break first game back it was a Saturday morning 1 pm game against Portland I was playing in Philadelphia so night one we moved into the apartment right and there was no

Crib and my youngest it was his first night sleeping in a bed we had these like built-in bunk beds for the kids right and you know he’s freaking out and he’s like I’m not sleeping alone blah blah blah I’m be with Knox Knox is like in a new bed and anyways long story

Short we didn’t have that there was like a a trundle bed but the mattress hadn’t come in yet and so my wife’s like you got to go sleep with the kids I’m like all right I’ll go sleep with the kids and I went up there and I slept on the

hardwood with a pillow in a blanket and they they did not go to sleep the whole night I slept like two hours I got up at like 700 a.m. drove down to Philly of course then sh one for 10 you know it’s like I had this double

Digit streak broke it that game ah still think about that still think about that but you know what I don’t regret it because like Derek I wanted to be a good dad in the moment yeah yeah I mean at at after that happens you’re like I probably could

Have just relaxed and but like at the moment you’re like I gotta be there I gotta I gotta do this and honestly I think having kids has changed like my perspective of basketball is um just be able to go home and just have them not

Care if I score 30 points or zero points and just just to have fun play with them like it’s definitely changed my perspective so I don’t regret nothing um we haven’t had you we’ve talked but we haven’t had you on the show since the playoff run last year

Obviously didn’t end how you wanted but do you just have you know can you sort of offer a little perspective on the entire run and then specifically on on the game six um Miami play just because you know obviously the series didn’t go your guys way in the end but it was

Still one of the most probably iconic plays the last you know however many years yeah um I feel like looking back on the playoffs now like there just so many games games where um we just didn’t execute at the end or we kind of just

Gave away and so like we just played so many so many games more games than we should have just looking back on on that and then um obviously the the game six was was crazy um the whole game I feel like we were in control and then next

Thing I know we’re down one point and um I was just like someone’s just got to make a play um I knew I was going to take it out and just trying to find someone one and um we talked about it in training camp was uh just crashing the

Boards at the end of the game um and so as soon as smart shot it like that’s just the first thing that came to my mind and uh was just able to be in that that right place and me as soon as I

Shot it I felt like I got it off in time and just that kind of like minute wait or whatever to see if it counts or not was seemed like an hour but it was It was obviously special and um I mean to force a game seven and we were pretty

Confident at that moment and then obviously we having game seven disappointing so um it was a whirlwind of emotions I didn’t really know how to explain it but uh just being in the in the right spot were you surprised when you come out of the timeout and you’re

You know you’re taking the ball out you come out of the timeout and they give you the ball and no one was in front of you like they were they were doing the thing where they you know they try to face guard the guy coming to the top

Um were you surprised and did that alter sort of your thought process in the moment yeah I think each team’s a little bit different about um I mean they had a kind of a in the game play last night chat was on the ball um and then

Obviously Miami went a different way so um I mean when that happened obviously JT was our first look and they kind of double teamed him and denied him and then JB was my my second look and I think bam was did a did a good job on

Him so um smart did a good job of flashing to the ball and as soon as I pass to him I just try to relocate try to space and then as soon as he shot it just crash and find a way to get us get

The ball and uh it came right to me and she got to put it in so each team’s a little bit different and that kind of just changes your read a little bit as an inbounder before I let you go I just wanted to ask you about being a young

Player for Greg papovich uh you guys played the Spurs the other night um objectively they have been one of the worst teams in basketball uh like the Thunder very young um and wemi like any rookie has sort of you know had some highs and he’s had some lows um and then

Across the board you know whether it’s soan or vasel or or Kellin Johnson you know it seems like pop has a certain way of coaching young guys uh you know that he did that with Kawai where he sort of brought him along slowly you know looking back at that

Sort of time period in your life of of getting drafted by the Spurs and then and sort of working your way into a starter uh what do you remember about that uh in terms of how pop coached you uh I mean I’m always thankful for

Pop um I mean every time I see him I just tell them I love him um and just I’m that I’m thankful uh but I mean for when I was a rookie um after my first preseason game I thought I I played pretty good and then I seen this report

They’re like what’s what’s Derek rooll this year and he said uh get towels and water for the guys I’m like oh well that’s that’s how that’s going to be this year um but he’s just all about the development like he’s not going to just throw you into the fire if you’re not

Ready he’s all about just making the right basket play each and every time and um you just got to learn that over time so uh I mean my my my instance I was in Austin a lot my rookie year but every time I came back at San Antonio he

Was there talking to me about it and like was knowledgeable about what what I was doing down there so um just having him care about me even when I wasn’t with the team uh just showed me that uh he does care about my development He

Does care about my future and I just got to continue work down there so when it is my time to to get called up to San Antonio like I’m ready to to go and uh I mean he pushes you he he Demands a lot from you um and that’s I think that’s

What every young player wants yeah I wait just be clear pop gave the report that you were gonna be a towel Boy pop said that yeah essentially it’s amazing oh outs outside of the Thunder just because it’s you know recenty bias are there young guys around the league you particularly liked watching and

Playing against so far um I mean I feel like everybody’s a young guy nowadays the next wave of stars and everything is um it’s impressive um obviously uh tyes uh what he’s doing with that Pacers team and uh the numbers that he’s putting up is is crazy is

Incredible um I mean just that if you look around the league like ant and what he’s doing in Minnesota and um just top to bottom there’s just so much young talent and then there’s still like those those old heads older guys that are still killing in the league like uh

Steph and and Braun and so just having those guys like come together with with the young guys has been a lot of fun and I feel like the League’s in in a great spot Derek we appreciate the time um always good catching up and we’ll see you soon

Man yeah I appreciate you guys thanks there a

We are psyched to welcome back our friend from the Boston Celtics, Derrick White. Topics include: JJ talks about the three most disappointing teams in the NBA this season (Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers) and who he actually believes in from that bunch, Derrick on JJ’s obsession with him lol, his reaction to getting beat by Shai, Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the amount of young talent in the NBA and why it’s hard to get stops today, JJ goes on another rant about the narrative that the rules favor the offensive player, Derrick’s awareness of foul baiting, his thoughts on the Boston Celtics evolution with Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, his approach to being a good teammate, what makes a great role player, playing with Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown and much more.

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