When looking back at the Paris Olympics, most would empathize with Jayson Tatum. After a championship-winning season, the Boston Celtics’ cornerstone spent most of his time on the bench under Steve Kerr. His limited contributions sparked an outrage against the head coach. But did his game suffer from Kerr’s benching or did another Celtics star possibly deteriorate? Gilbert Arenas thinks one of his teammates got the worst end of the stick.
On the recent episode of Gil’s Arena, the Suns’ Devin Booker became the subject of talks. The panel was impressed by his adaptability on the star-laden Paris roster. Despite being a primary scorer in the NBA, Book sacrificed his offensive workload and became a hunter on defense. His energy helped Team USA apply constant pressure. And for the rivals guarding him, they couldn’t switch off alluding to his wide range of scoring options. It was similar to how Derrick White plays for Boston according to Agent Zero.
“So you’re Booker who averages 29. He became Derrick White on Boston naturally because LeBron’s there so he’s pump-faking pass. That pass he made to KD? That was a layup. But if you put Derrick White in there, Derrick White became worse if that’s a word version of himself. One, in Boston he’s going to take the shots that’s open. Here he is not even thinking about that unless he’s wide open,” said Arenas.
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In all fairness, the former Wizards guard has been after White for a long time. At first, he questioned Grant Hill for replacing a forward with a guard. Moreover, Arenas also said White would continue smiling even if the team failed to capture gold.
Coming to Devin Booker, the phenomenal scorer showed his dynamic nature when starting for Team USA. Apart from keeping the defense engaged by being a constant scoring threat, the 27-year-old played imposing defense in his time on the floor. Sharing the floor with megastars, his maturity shined as he put the objective before his own NBA reputation.
It was indicative of his character, which is devoted to winning. Steve Kerr named him the “unsung hero” for Team USA. Whereas Booker fulfilled his promise of doing the tough work if given a chance to play for Team USA.
Was Derrick White bad for Team USA?
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While unusual to replace the Klaw, White had formed a formidable reputation before the Paris Olympics. He was the Celtics’ high-octane guard who played with tenacity and will for 48 minutes. Combined with Jrue Holiday, they became a fearsome backcourt. Furthermore, as an All-Defensive member, the 30-year-old two-way force seemed like an ideal option to have for a rigorous tournament like the Olympics.
Kerr might have viewed him as the second coming of Jrue Holiday, his Celtic teammate. As a knockdown shooter, White looked destined to be an impactful player. However, he couldn’t find the three-point rhythm he boasts in the NBA, where he shoots close to 40%. Through the Olympics, White averaged 30% from three and never became a significant part of the rotations. Does that make him a bad selection? Absolutely not.
Even though he had an upsetting tournament from a performance standpoint, White’s skills are favorable for the international model of basketball. The Celtics’ combo guard is generally an accurate attacker, utilizing his minimal shots to the most. He had a bad tournament, but that doesn’t necessarily make him the wrong choice for the tournament.
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White came in with prior experience, playing at the 2019 FIBA World Championship for Team USA. Watching him fit into the style of play, Kerr even said, “Derrick White is a phenomenal basketball player. He’s a winner, he’s a FIBA player” after his brilliant performance against South Sudan.
He might have had a small part to play, but Derrick White has every reason to feel prideful about his role.
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