Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis gets 100% real on ‘perfect teammate’ Derrick White

When one thinks of the Boston Celtics, the first players that come to mind would probably be their stars, namely, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. However, one Celtic player has been slowly getting the attention of fans and players alike: Derrick White. Speaking to the media, Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis praised his teammate, admitting how he wasn't aware of White's capabilities at first.

“I didn't realize how good D-White was,” Porzingis said, as per Celtics in-house writer Taylor Snow. “He's kind of under the radar a little bit, but he's special — the way he plays, how 90-plus percent of the time he makes the right play all the time.”

White has been exceeding expectations for the Celtics as of late. Averaging 16.6 points and 5.2 assists this season, the 29-year-old guard out of Colorado has put up a recent string of games with noticeable numbers. Just this December, White has garnered two 30-point games — one in a victory against the New York Knicks earlier this month and the other in an overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors recently.

Three games ago, he managed to tally 28 points and seven assists in a win against the Sacramento Kings, stepping up as Tatum was sidelined with an injury. And on Christmas Day against the Celtics' longtime rivals Los Angeles Lakers, White finished with a double-double of 18 points and 11 assists.

Porzingis continued, describing White as the “perfect teammate.”

“That's the perfect teammate you want. And on top of that, he's shooting great percentages and being super efficient. Yeah, he's special man.”

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From being praised by D'Angelo Russell, to being vouched for as an All-Star by Tatum and former NBA player JJ Redick, the basketball community is slowly recognizing Derrick White for the player he truly is.