Winds in the Eastern Conference may begin to blow in a different direction. Throughout the season, the Detroit Pistons have reigned supreme in the Eastern Conference. But the Boston Celtics are going after them with speed and force. On Sunday, the Celtics defeated another former contender, the Cleveland Cavaliers, 109–98 to move to 43–21 on the season and fall just 2.5 games behind the Pistons in the standings.
The Celtics may be peaking at the right time, and what makes this season so outstanding for everyone involved in the franchise is that they managed to hold down the fort and excel despite an injury to Jayson Tatum. Now that Tatum is back, the Celtics may be the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
But as much fanfare as Tatum and Jaylen Brown attract for their continued excellence, the Celtics won't go anywhere without the beating heart of Derrick White, who received such high praise Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson after his altercation on Sunday.
"[He's] Top-five player in the league,” Atkinson said of White, via the Celtics on CLNS on X. “That’s how we treat him. He really disrupts you defensively, he's an elite rim protector. Possibly the best guard rim protector in the league. So just take all those things and put it out there and with the shooting, you've got a great player.
Kenny Atkinson explains why he thinks Derrick White is a top 5 player in the NBA:
“Maybe what people aren't measuring is his defensive impact... Analytically I think it's probably proven in different places that he's that player and that's how we treat him.”
"He really hinders… https://t.co/uKwr1QwmVt pic.twitter.com/GDXsc5dXvr
-Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) 8 March 2026
The Celtics' Derrick White is a coach's dream
Many fans were stunned when White was getting just a few more minutes than Tatum for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But it made sense. He can fit into every lineup. He can defend multiple positions, and he enjoys doing the dirty work. And besides, he's one of the best volume three-point shooters in the NBA.
"What people probably aren't measuring is his defensive impact... Analytically I think it's probably proven in different places that he's that player and that's how we treat him," Atkinson said.
