Brian Windhorst detailed a notable internal evaluation from Boston during the 2025-26 season, stating on The Hoop Collective podcast: “Even though Jaylen Brown was talking about himself for MVP, the Celtics did not feel like Jaylen had the best season on their team. They felt that Derrick White had a better season.” The comment frames how Boston’s internal grading differed from external awards recognition.
Brown played 71 games and led the Celtics with 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 47.7% from the field and 34.7% from three. He earned MVP-6 and All-NBA Second Team honors.
White appeared in 77 games, averaging 16.5 points, 5.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 39.4% overall and 32.7% from three, alongside Defensive Player of the Year Sixth Place recognition and All-Defensive First Team honors.
Boston finished the regular season 56-26, second in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit, and posted a 36-16 conference record. The Celtics also leaned heavily on perimeter creation, with Brown handling a 21.7 field-goal attempt load per game compared to White’s 14.4.
White’s value profile was driven less by scoring volume and more by two-way stability. He ranked among Boston’s leaders in assists at 5.4 per game while adding elite defensive versatility across guard matchups. His 1.3 blocks per game and 1.1 steals placed him among the team’s most disruptive perimeter defenders, complementing Boston’s top-tier defensive structure during the regular season.
The evaluation comes in the same offseason Boston reshaped its core. The Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster deal on July 1. Boston received Paul George and multiple future draft assets, including an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and additional first- and second-round selections.
The move ends Brown’s 10-year tenure in Boston, where he developed into a five-time All-Star and 2024 NBA champion. Philadelphia pairs him with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, while Boston pivots toward a restructured roster built around Jayson Tatum’s primary creation role and White’s two-way backcourt stability.
