If the Boston Celtics are to make a return to the NBA Finals this season, they will need a big contribution from point guard Derrick White to get there.

In the event White and the Celtics come up short in their journey, it won't be due to a lack of confidence, and why wouldn't they feel good about their chances? Through the run to the NBA Finals last season, the Celtics won a few of their most pivotal games on the road.

Knowing this, Derrick White sent a bold warning to the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference and the NBA as a whole, in an interview captured by NESN.com.

“If we get the one seed, it’s cool,” White told reporters, per MassLive. “If we don't, it’s the same. We didn’t have it last year, so we just want to keep playing the best basketball going into the playoffs, whether we are the No. 1, 2 or 3 (seed). It doesn’t matter.”

At the very least, White's comments can be backed up by results. The Celtics had to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks on the road to keep their season alive in the East semifinals, and they won a Game 7 in the conference finals against the Miami Heat in Florida to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

White also understands he has Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on his team, and most people would be confident if they had two of the best players in the league by their side.

For the record, Boston is second in the conference standings heading into Thursday's action. Judging off of White's comments, they could be the eighth seed, as long as they're playing their best basketball when it's time.