The Boston Celtics have made it back to the NBA Finals after going 12-2 in their 14 games played, which shows how dominant they’ve been so far.
Even without Kristaps Porzingis, the Boston Celtics didn’t skip a beat because of their stacked roster, including Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, as NBA star-turned-analyst Reggie Miller described them as the team’s x-factors.
“Let me say this about the Boston Celtics. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, it’s almost unfair. Seriously, those two dudes do every single little thing that impacts winning,” Reggie Miller said on The Dan Patrick Show.
“They take their team’s temperature, whatever their team will need that night. I know all the headlines go to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But this team, the bread-and-butter, to me, is Holiday and White,” he added.
Jrue Holiday and Derrick White for the Boston Celtics this postseason
Jrue Holiday and Derrick White have been an effective backcourt duo for the Boston Celtics in this year’s playoffs. Holiday is averaging 12.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 49/40/94 shooting splits, and White is averaging 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game on 46/40/90 shooting splits.
However, their impact goes beyond the scoreboard, as Holiday and White have been menacing defensively this postseason.
Jrue Holiday’s clutch steal on Andrew Nembhard in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers was one of the Boston Celtics’ signature moments, and Derrick White, despite standing below 6’10”, already has 18 blocks so far in this run.
If the Boston Celtics will raise Banner No. 18, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White need to outplay Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on both ends, which is easier said than done.
