Joe Mazzulla says that Derrick White will probably be Celtics’ place to begin guard in 2023-24

Celtics

“We’ve got the power to play in several methods. We’ve got the power to play small and play massive.”

With Marcus Good traded to Memphis earlier this summer time in a blockbuster deal for Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics will flip to Derrick White because the workforce’s place to begin guard for the 2023-24 season. 

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed the lineup reshuffle throughout Wednesday’s press convention for Jaylen Brown’s new five-year, $304 million supermax contract.

Whereas White, 29, will probably be tasked with conducting Boston’s offense from certainly one of its two beginning guard positions, Mazzulla famous that Malcolm Brogdon and Peyton Pritchard can even have expanded roles following Good’s departure.

“Derrick will probably be our place to begin guard, and he will probably be certainly one of our beginning guards,” Mazzulla stated, per MassLive.com’s Souichi Terada. “We’ve got the power to play in several methods. We’ve got the power to play small and play massive, so with among the modifications that we’ve made, it opens up lots of alternatives for Derrick, Payton, and Malcolm.”

White is coming into his third season with the Celtics, with the versatile guard averaging 12.4 factors, 3.9 assists, and three.6 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per recreation final yr.

Regardless that his stats could not precisely stand out, White’s defensive capacity and flexibility will probably be welcomed in Boston’s beginning lineup regularly. White earned a spot within the All-Defensive Second Staff throughout the 2022-23 season.

White’s promotion within the wake of Good’s commerce isn’t precisely a lot of a shock, particularly given his contributions all through the 2022-23 season. Even with beginning PG duties, White will nonetheless possible defer on offense to Boston’s two prime conduits in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The depth chart behind White will probably be value monitoring with regards to each Brogdon and Pritchard.

At one level, Brogdon was reportedly the guard on the transfer within the Porzingis deal, just for it to ultimately fall by way of. The Celtics reportedly now have little interest in buying and selling Brogdon, who’s the reigning Sixth Man of the Yr. 

Pritchard, who will be part of the USA Choose Staff this summer time, is due for a bigger position in 2023-24. The 25-year-old guard has expressed his need for a bigger position, be it with the Celtics or one other workforce. 

Extra minutes must be on the horizon for Pitchard, who solely performed in 48 video games final season and averaged simply 13.4 minutes per contest.

“I believe that’s actually vital that these three have a chance to develop them and assist them on each ends of the ground,” Mazzulla stated of White, Brogdon, and Pritchard. “These three guys on the guard spot are part of our id and part of what we have to get to on offense and protection.”