Derrick White Points To Important Change He Made To His Game

The NBA can be a challenging environment for many non-stars, and Boston Celtics guard Derrick White encountered several challenges as a role player, prompting him to develop a new technique.

White discussed on his podcast “White Noise” on Wednesday that he had to alter his shot as a role player due to limited shooting opportunities.

“Yeah, because like why I changed my technique was I’d have really hot days, I go through stretches where I’d shoot really well, and then I’d also have days where I wasn’t,” White said on changing his shot. “It’s hard to roll that roller coaster, especially as a role player, like you’re getting 10 shots.”

White knew he needed to adjust his shot to make the most of opportunities when he got on the court.

“At the time, I was getting 10 shots, so I had to make five. If I make four, you’re a 40% shooter,” White added. “That’s not good, but the tough part about being a role player is that you’re limited to at most 10 shots. The stars can work their way; they can miss the first 10 shots.”

White was a role player when he joined the NBA as a member of the San Antonio Spurs in 2017. In White’s first three seasons, he didn’t even attempt 10 shots per game.

However, White’s field goal percentage was 47.4 over those three seasons, which was above the NBA average.

White was traded to the Celtics in February 2022 and has since started 223 games, evolving from a role player to an essential part of the rotation.

If White had never altered his jumper, he might not have had the chance to make more shots, which could have resulted in less playing time and a different trajectory for his career.