Derrick White is heading into a season that could say quite a bit about where the Boston Celtics are going next. He's already established himself as an important part of the team, but there's one area where he'll need to show that last season was more exception than warning sign. White's 3-point shooting took a noticeable step backward last year.
After shooting at least 38.1% from beyond the arc in each of the previous three seasons, he dropped to 32.7%. The decline became even more obvious in the playoffs, when he shot just 27.3% from three. More sports: Thunder at Spurs Set to Kick Off the NBA Season in Style For a player who brings a lot to the Celtics, that's a problem Boston will want to see corrected.
White's shooting has been an important part of his offensive value, so getting back closer to the level he showed earlier in his career would go a long way toward easing concerns. He doesn't necessarily need to become an elite shooter overnight. He just needs to show that last season's numbers aren't the new normal.
There's another part of White's upcoming season, too. He's long been an analytics favorite, which makes his performance very important for a Celtics team that recently moved on from Jaylen Brown. The same numbers that have been so favorable toward White have been much less kind to Brown, making White's ability to produce at a high level even more significant.
If White plays well, it gives Boston another reason to trust the data that has viewed him so favorably. Sports news: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Heat at Bucks Could Be One of NBA’s Best Games There's a lot happening around the Celtics. But White has a specific task.
He needs to rediscover his shooting touch and remind everyone why the numbers have valued his game so highly.
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