The NBA preseason yields the perfect opportunity for players at every stage — from rookies to seasoned veterans — to make an impression, log valuable reps, and set the tone before Opening Night. For Derrick White, Wednesday night’s finale against the Raptors introduced the ideal pathway to view the floor through a primary scorer’s lens.
Boston opened the contest with most of its projected starters (aside from Sam Hauser) but was forced to adjust early when a hamstring injury sent Jaylen Brown to the locker room in the first quarter. Brown remained sidelined for the rest of the night, handing White — the team’s fourth-leading scorer last season — the reins to the offense in an exhibition the Celtics approached with real intent.
“(I wanted to) go out there and compete,” White said after Boston’s 110-108 win over Toronto at TD Garden. “It’s the last game for a week, so just try to push it, get tired, shoot while you’re tired. Try to just see how that feels, and this is the best way to simulate it. So just go out there, compete, have fun. I know they were gonna play hard, so that was a good challenge.”
Not only was it a tough challenge, but it was also a test White was more than ready for.
White tackled the challenge with flying colors, scoring a game-high 33 points. He shot 10-of-23 from the field in 35 minutes with nine rebounds, six assists, and four blocks, connecting from 3-point range six times. It was a box score-stuffing effort strong enough to push the Celtics to a 3-1 preseason finish.
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 15: Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics is introduced before the game against the Toronto Raptors during Preseason on October 15, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 15: Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics is introduced before the game against the Toronto Raptors during Preseason on October 15, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
NBAE via Getty Images
It was a performance that demonstrated everything Boston expects from White on a nightly basis: efficiency on both ends, a dependable 3-point stroke, and some of the league’s most formidable perimeter defense. That’s standard. What made this night different was White reaching a new level — one that gives Mazzulla the confidence to not only run the offense but also shoulder its primary scoring load. That development lifts both White and the Celtics, making Tatum’s absence a little easier to bear.
More importantly, White helped inject the team’s slew of new arrivals with a timely dose of confidence. Circumstances already have Boston entering a clean slate without franchise star Jayson Tatum for a presumed multi-month absence (at best), meaning adaptability will be key. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla will need to pick his matchups strategically, and in other situations — like Wednesday night — the team will have to figure things out on its own and make the most of the hand it’s been dealt.
Everyone in the locker room, including White, acknowledges the reality of the situation.
White has worked tirelessly throughout training camp and during the preseason to establish a rapport with the roster’s big men following an offseason in which the team parted ways with Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
“It’s just a work in progress, obviously about screening angles and where to set it,” White explained. “But also where to roll, when to pop, how far to roll. So that’s just something we’re gonna continue to develop and just working on the two-man game, and just developing that relationship depending on what they do defensively. So it’s going to be a work in progress. We got a lot of guys that are good listeners, good hard workers, and so, I think we’ll pick it up well.”
In moving on from Porzingis and Horford, the Celtics welcomed in Chris Boucher, Luka Garza, Josh Minott, and Amari Williams as their new frontcourt options. So far, the veterans have shown promising flashes of their ability to work in tandem with White, Brown, Payton Pritchard, and the rest of their new teammates. But with the center position remaining one of Boston’s biggest questions heading into the season, White knows it’s still a work in progress.
The season’s official start is six days away, and White plans to continue doing his part in shaping the offense, regardless of whatever unforeseen condition presents itself. Sometimes those conditions will require White to step in from Brown’s Robin to Boston’s Batman. If Wednesday night was any indicator, White’s preparation is well-equipped to handle the responsibility.
“We’re just constantly trying to figure out what we’re trying to do offensively, and just trying to find a great shot every time down,” White said. “I think I had the ball in my hands a lot, especially when JB goes out and Sam’s not in. So just trying to find that balance of being aggressive, but also I think I gotta do a better job of just getting off of it and getting some movement. So it’ll be good to see and (I’ll) try to be better in a week from now.”