The Four Keys to Derrick White's Much-Improved Shooting This Season

Derrick White's shooting coach, Marcus Mason, details the plan laid out for White this summer that has sparked his improved shooting and helped Boston get off to a strong start this season.

ORLANDO, Fla. – With less than a minute remaining in the first half of Saturday’s game at Orlando, the shot clock was winding down as the Magic took away options A (Jayson Tatum) and B (Jaylen Brown) for Boston.

Marcus Smart had the ball in his hands, but he didn’t have a good look, either.

So Smart did the only thing he could - he passed to Derrick White.

There’s a lot to like about White’s overall game.

Shot-making is not one of those things … until now.

One of the keys to Boston’s strong start to this season has been White’s much-improved perimeter touch.

Saturday’s 126-120 win over Orlando was just the latest game in which White’s shooting touch was more Midas than meh for Boston.

White would finish with 27 points which included 5 three-pointers.

The improved shooting only validates the work White put in this summer working on his shot with his longtime shooting coach, Marcus Mason.

"It was definitely something I worked on this summer, a lot," White said in a one-on-one interview prior to Saturday's game. "Hopefully I'll keep getting opportunities and keep taking them with confidence."

Mason said the key to White’s improved shooting has been his ability to stick with the plan they outlined this summer.

“First thing we started with, he’s shooting on balance,” Mason said. "Number two, he’s working to drive his elbows a little higher so he’s pointing his elbows a little more toward the ceiling which is creating that arc.

Mason added, “We talked about the apex of the shot; really getting the ball to its highest point.”

But the most noticeable change with White’s shooting beside the results, has been White not leaning back on his release nearly as much as he used to.

“Keeping his shoulders going more towards the rim and not leaning back and just being consistent with his follow through,” Mason said.

Improved shot-making only adds to the value that the Celtics are getting from the veteran wing acquired in the middle of last season via trade from the San Antonio Spurs.

When White arrived in Boston, there were a number of folks within the Celtics organization that he was familiar with, including former assistant Will Hardy (now head coach of the Utah Jazz).

Hardy was the assistant both in Boston and San Antonio, that worked extensively with White.

One of the first people White spoke with after the trade, was Hardy who was also at Logan airport in Boston to pick up White.

I had a chance to talk with Hardy at that time about White, a player he kept in touch with before he arrived in Boston and remains close to him still.

"I really think that his teammates and the fans are going to love that he's tough," Hardy told me at the time. "He's not super-loud, but he's tough."

And that toughness bodes well for White and his increasing role with the Celtics, a role that becomes even more valuable with his shot-making.

STARS

Jayson Tatum: The game ended in a similar fashion to how it started, with Jayson Tatum getting bucket after bucket. After a red-hot start of 15 first-quarter points, Tatum was back at it down the stretch before finishing with 38 points and six rebounds.

Terrence Ross: Terrence Ross scoring a lot of points against Boston. So what else is new? This is what Ross seemingly does whenever he sees those Boston green and white jerseys. Ross led the Magic with29 points.

STUDS

Paolo Banchero: The top overall pick in last June's NBA draft has not disappointed early on with his play. He came into the league with an NBA-ready body, and has showcased the ability to score from all levels on the floor. Banchero had 23 points on Saturday.

Derrick White: On a night when points were hard to come by for Boston's No. 2 scorer Jaylen Brown, White stepped up with a strong performance. He would finish with 27 points to go with four rebounds and four assists

Uh-uhs

Mo Bamba: This was yet another game in which Mo Bamba struggled to make anything remotely close to an impact on the floor. He played 12 relatively unproductive minutes, scoring just three points without grabbing a single rebound.