Celtics guard Derrick White blocks a shot by Utah forward during Boston’s win Tuesday night in Salt Lake City. George Frey/Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — As Derrick White keeps showing off his value for the Boston Celtics, the one that always pops out are his blocks. White, at 6-foot-4, is considered the best shot-blocking guard in the league – and for good reason.
White now has a career high when it comes to blocks. He finished with three swats in the Celtics’ win over the Jazz on Tuesday, pushing his total to 79 on the season. That eclipsed his total of 76 from last season. White noted afterward that he still has another 17 more regular-season games to keep adding to that total.
“That’s crazy,” White said. “I didn’t realize that; I didn’t realize I was close to that. Just trying to have active hands, be in the right spot. I tell people I’m a shot-blocker, so I gotta block shots.”
That wasn’t the only stat where White is turning some heads. He leads the NBA in net rating, plus/minus, blocks by a guard and offensive rating. So whenever people talk about White being an underrated player, it’s all those other stats aside from the counting stats.
White shrugged off those accomplishments, instead crediting his teammates. But White has been an analytics darling for a reason, as his two-way play is a crucial part of the Celtics’ equation.
“I don’t think it’s really me,” White said. “I got great teammates around me that kind of make it simple. I’m just trying to go out there, compete and win in any way possible. Honestly, you want to make the game better when you’re in. So I’m just competing and making the right play. A lot of credit to my teammates.”
THE CELTICS return home Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns but remain short-handed in their front court.
Boston has already ruled out starting center Kristaps Porzingis for a fourth straight game as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain. Jaylen Brown (sore back) is also questionable after missing Tuesday’s win over the Jazz.
The Celtics went 3-0 without Porzingis to close out their West Coast trip, including a win over the Suns in Phoenix on Saturday night. Porzingis suffered the injury against the Nuggets last Thursday, and the team’s training staff has been cautious with him all year amid a host of minor injuries. Brown got the night off Tuesday on a tail end of a back-to-back, and his injury appears to be more minor. Al Horford will be back in the lineup after a one game absence because of a toe injury.
Boston will be in for a tougher challenge against Phoenix this time around, with Devin Booker back in the Suns’ lineup. He missed a week of action because of a sprained ankle but made his return in a win over the Cavs on Monday night. Phoenix is in the midst of a four-game trip that will include stops in Charlotte and Milwaukee.
With a 51-14 record, the Celtics currently hold a 9 1/2-game lead atop the Eastern Conference and could clinch home-court advantage by the end of the month if they continue their torrid pace. They also have the easiest remaining schedule in the NBA with 17 games left to play, which should give them plenty of room to be cautious with minor injuries or fatigue to their core players moving forward.
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