Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson praised Boston Celtics guard Derrick White as a top-five player in the NBA ahead of their matchup. The comments highlighted White's analytical impact despite his understated stats. The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 109-98 on March 8, 2026.
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson offered high praise for Boston Celtics guard Derrick White before their Eastern Conference game on March 8, 2026, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Atkinson described White as a "top five player in this league," emphasizing his analytical value. "I know no one says that in the standard media, but analytically, you look at all the advanced stuff, he’s [a] top 5 player in the league, [a] superstar," Atkinson said, according to MassLive’s Brian Robb.
The Cavaliers entered the game with a 39-24 record, facing the 42-21 Celtics. White, in his fifth season with Boston after being traded from the San Antonio Spurs in 2022, has been a key contributor. He helped the Celtics win the 2024 NBA championship and has earned multiple All-Defensive team selections for his perimeter shot-blocking and versatility.
This season, White has started all 61 games, averaging 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 39.4% from the field and 90.4% from the free-throw line. His shooting has dipped, but he stepped up as the secondary scorer behind Jaylen Brown during Jayson Tatum's absence due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, which sidelined Tatum for the first 61 games.
White earned Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month honors in February. Recent performances included 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, and 29 points against the Charlotte Hornets earlier that week.
In the game against Cleveland, White scored six points on 2-for-9 shooting, with seven rebounds and five assists. Brown and Tatum combined for 43 points, securing the 109-98 victory. Atkinson also noted the Celtics' depth, praising Brown and Neemias Queta, who he said is analytically one of the top 30 players. "They’re really good... They got a championship pedigree... This is an elite, elite team," Atkinson added.
With Tatum back, White returns to his role as a defensive stopper and multi-positional guard under coach Joe Mazzulla.
