Derrick White’s ‘new dad energy’ helped the Celtics earn a much-needed win

Derrick White took a page out of Fred VanVleet’s book on Monday night.

when Toronto Raptors We won the NBA Championship in 2019 and made a big step up in the final. Previous series, VanVleet Welcomed his second child.. So when he exceeded his expectations in the finals, people began to trust his “dad’s strength.”White has the same strength in Game 4 Miami heat..

White missed Game 3 in the series Birth of his first child, Hendrix James White.. So when DPOY Marcus Smart was eliminated with an ankle sprain in Game 4, expectations for White increased. And with the help of his dad, he delivered and Boston Celtics To win the series leveling.

When asked about this “new dad’s energy” in a post-match interview, White had no choice but to smile, saying “I hope so.” He also mentioned how wonderful it was to be a dad for the first time.

He was a great blessing for myself and my family. I can’t wait to go home and meet him and just hug him. In other words, just looking at him is cool. And I look forward to seeing how he grows.

White wasn’t particularly good at shooting Boston 102-82 wins the heat.. He played the most time on the team (40:52) and was essential to their planning on both sides of the ball. After the match, head coach Ime Udoka explained the importance of White, even if he wasn’t hitting a shot with an efficient clip.

He was great. A part-time starter when a man is out. He checks so many boxes for us, and as I said, it’s not just what appears on the statistics sheet or score. He is a man who moves the ball very well, very well and defends multiple positions.

The 27-year-old shot was 4 to 14 from the field and 1 to 8 from behind the three-point line. But White started hot. He scored the first seven points of the game and helped Boston lead 7-0. White was very aggressive and always chose his spot in the middle of the floor.

He talked about the idea of ​​this attack after the match and said it was his plan — no matter what, he knew he had to be aggressive.

I said this morning, “If I’m going to fail, I’m going to do it aggressively and just go back to the way I play.” Obviously, I got off to a good start and tried to continue for 48 minutes.

He wasn’t a consistent shooter this year, but White thrived when he got into the defensive teeth. In the first quarter, he made things happen by locating the lane and forcing the problem.

All four fields White created came in the first quarter, but continued to help the team even after they stopped hitting shots. White finished the game with eight rebounds and six assists to score 13 points. He also robbed three steels and one block, making the entire court feel his presence.

According to White, his great play came from the encouragement of his teammates. Filling for smart, White had some big shoes to fill. He said the team kept telling him to be just himself. They didn’t want him to replace him smartly. They wanted him to be the best version of Derrick.

You’re like being thrown in the middle of the year … If you try not to step on your toes, it will personally retreat you. So sometimes you go back a bit. But the team did a great job of becoming like “No, just be you.” Smart told me this morning. Rob says it, for example I have to do it. So it makes it much easier.

White’s six assists led the team. The encouragement of his teammates went around completely as he was able to set them up for a simple basket. Robert Williams’ remarks in that regard were rewarded with this sweet Rob in the third quarter.

However, Bigman’s son, also known as Hendrix, had to apologize to Williams before the match. White said he chose his name before it was traded to Boston, but it’s still an interesting coincidence because White’s reasoning was that it was “unique.”

After the contest, Williams told the media that White had come to him before the match and apologized. When Williams discussed the situation, he couldn’t help laughing.

That’s what he first told me when he saw me. He came a little closer to me, “Hey companion, I’m not … sorry.” But you know, because it’s a good name.

Regardless of the name, it’s clear that Dad’s strength is real. Williams scored 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in Game 4. His defensive presence helped shut down his heat after a 127 point explosion in Game 3.

White and Williams harnessed the power of Hendrix, but instead of the killer guitar solo, they used it to further enhance the series against heat. And unfortunately, for “Jimi” Butler, the Hendrix name disagreed with him.

Game 5 will be held this Wednesday at 8:30 pm EST. I hope White hasn’t exhausted all of his new dad’s power yet, as the Celtics could use it a little more as the Celtics tried to take the first lead in the series.

And because of its value, White has been preparing to be a dad for some time: