Celtics
“What playoff games were you watching last year?”
In a recent ranking of the so-called “top 100” players in the NBA, ESPN inevitably generated a level of controversy both for the specific choices made within its list, and also for those who were left off.
One name who fell outside the top 100 by ESPN standards was Celtics guard Derrick White.
White, 29, was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and made a critical impact in Boston’s playoff run a season ago.
Noticing White’s absence from the list, former NBA player J.J. Redick was shocked. Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, “The Old Man and the Three,” Redick sounded off on why he views it as a particularly egregious snub.
“Of these 150 people who claim to be basketball experts, how is Derrick White not in the top 100?” Redick asked. “How is that possible?
In the view of Redick — who is also an ESPN employee — White doesn’t simply belong on the list of 100 players, but should be in its upper half.
“He’s a top 50 player,” Redick argued. “What playoff games were you watching last year?”
White, notably, capped one of the memorable sequences from the Celtics’ playoff run in 2023. His buzzer-beater in Game 6 kept the series alive for Boston:
Redick eventually acknowledged what he sees as the reason behind the omission.
“It’s a troll, for engagement,” he said. “That’s all it is.”
White and the Celtics are currently preparing for the start of the new season.
Boston will begin on Oct. 25 in a matchup with the Knicks.
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