Is Derrick White actually a top-15 center in the NBA?

Rim safety is an enormous man’s sport. Guys like Rudy Gobert and Brook Lopez have made a profession out of being stalwarts within the paint, main their groups’ respective defenses to top-notch seasons. In a league dominated by top, having a “7” in entrance of that quantity is nearly a requirement. There are apparent exceptions. Barely undersized bigs like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Robert Williams have excelled at defending the rim due to their elite athleticism.

However there isn’t any exception better than Derrick White.

White is coming off the perfect season of his profession, and the spotlight was on the defensive finish. His offensive numbers could not help the declare, however defensively, White was a top-15 middle within the Affiliation final 12 months.

Check out this graph:

The Y-axis is how a lot better or worse gamers shot on the rim when guarded by a sure participant, and the X-axis is what number of photographs that participant guarded on the rim.

Not solely did White guard extra photographs on the rim than another participant on the Boston Celtics roster, however opponents additionally shot roughly seven p.c worse when he was guarding them. That’s proper round the place Al Horford ranked and higher than Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Now, have a look at the facilities round him.

White guarded extra photographs on the rim than Myles Turner, Kevon Looney, Clint Capela, and Bam Adebayo and held opponents to a worse defensive area purpose than anticipated than Joel Embiid, Evan Mobley, Deandre Ayton, and Jakob Poeltl.

White’s effectiveness across the rim has him within the prime half of NBA facilities. Solely 5 facilities final 12 months guarded extra photographs on the rim and held opponents to a worse area purpose proportion than anticipated – Gobert, Anthony Davis, Nicolas Claxton, Ivica Zubac, and Lopez. Included in these 5 gamers are 12 All-Defensive Crew members and three DPOYs.

White wasn’t guarding the very same caliber of gamers because the league’s beginning facilities, nor was he matching up in opposition to the identical archetype of gamers. Nevertheless, his rim-protection fashion is what makes him such an distinctive defender.

Moderately than performing as a Lopez or Gobert on the defensive finish, White performs the identical position that Williams does for the Celtics and that Jaren Jackson Jr. performs for the Memphis Grizzlies — a free security.

White was among the finest perimeter defenders within the league final 12 months, as evidenced by his All-Defensive choice, however as a helper, he was much more efficient.

Watch the Philadelphia 76ers get out in transition right here. Tobias Harris finds a lane to the ring previous Grant Williams, however as he’s going up for the layup, White leaves James Harden on the perimeter and secures the chase-down block.

His consciousness on the defensive finish is unmatched, and regardless of standing at simply 6-foot-4, White makes use of an ideal mixture of timing and positioning to file some spectacular blocks.

And when it got here to assembly a man on the rim, White was simply as elite. Small body and place apart, White’s timing as soon as once more reigned supreme.

Jrue Vacation blows proper previous Malcolm Brogdon on this play, placing the Celtics guard within the spin cycle. However reasonably than incomes a simple bucket, Vacation received a date with White on the rim.

White’s capacity to contest with out fouling on the rim is an enormous a part of what made him such a unbelievable defender final 12 months. Even when opponents received out in transition, he may nonetheless get an ideal shot contest. Simply watch Cole Anthony strive to attract contact on a fastbreak.

Working full pace, White was nonetheless in a position to soar within the air, get his fingers straight up, and meet Anthony on the apex of his shot try.

As a guard, White will likely be lauded for his play on the perimeter, and rightfully so. He was probably the most efficient point-of-attack defenders within the NBA final season. And as a middle, White was simply as efficient, if no more.

White isn’t seven ft tall. He’s not 250 lbs. He gained’t guard Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic one-on-one within the submit.

However when defending the rim, White is a top-15 middle within the NBA.