The Boston Celtics are expected to compete for championships year in and year out, and ever since guard Derrick White arrived in Beantown, they've accomplished that. Following White's trade to Boston in 2022, the Celtics have made two NBA Finals, won one championship, and extended their playoff appearance streak to 11 straight seasons.

Essentially, the C's have never been underdogs while White's been around, but that could very well change in October.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum may miss the entire 2025-26 season after suffering a ruptured Achilles in May, and former starters Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were traded away this summer. That eliminates 60% of Boston's starting rotation from last year, leaving White and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown as the last players standing.

Starters aside, the C's let backup center Luke Kornet walk in free agency and are expected to lose veteran big man Al Horford as well. Although Horford is still with the Green Team at the moment, it doesn't sound like White is counting on seeing him in training camp, via the “White Noise Podcast.”

“It's definitely going to be different,” White replied when asked about the upcoming season. “I mean, it has to be. We lost KP, Jrue, Luke, and then obviously JT being out. So, you lose three out of five starters. Even like Al. It's definitely going to change.”

Given all these alterations to the Celtics' once star-studded roster, it's no surprise that the NBA world is adjusting their view of the 2024 NBA champions. For instance, FanDuel Sportsbook believes the C's probably won't win more than 45 regular season games, setting their odds to surpass that total at +154.

And according to ESPN's betting projections, the Celtics aren't even expected to win their division (+750 odds), let alone an NBA championship (+5000 odds).

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Boston isn't used to this underdog status, yet White is more familiar. In fact, he enjoys the doubt.

“First time, since I've been in Boston, that people don't believe in us,” he stated. “So, it's kind of a fun spot for me to be in. It's kind of where I've always done my best, actually.”

When White was playing D-II basketball with the UCCS Mountain Lions in college, there were probably a lot of people who didn't think he would make it to the NBA. Flash-forward a decade and the 31-year-old is now an NBA champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and a key part of one of the most renowned sports franchises in the world.

The 2025-26 season will be an uphill battle for Boston, as it needs to implement a new starting lineup and adapt to life without Tatum. Yet, White refuses to let these roadblocks damper his mood heading into his ninth year in the league.

“We got a bunch of competitors,” White said of the Celtics. “I'm just trying to win as many games as possible, and I'm really excited. We got a lot of talent. We got a great coaching staff. So, it's going to be a fun year.”

Perhaps the Celtics will have more fun during the 2026-27 season, when Tatum could return to play and the rest of the C's are (ideally) more accustomed to their roles. But before that happens, White and company must embrace the Celtics' newfound underdog label and try to prove the ones who gave it to them wrong.