SAN ANTONIO — By now, Derrick White’s status as one of the NBA’s best kept secrets is already in danger.
The
rest of the nation is beginning to understand what Spurs fans have
realized for much of the 2018-19 season — that the second-year pro from
the University of Colorado isn’t just a vital role player for San
Antonio. In fact, he may be on the short list for most valuable
performers on the entire roster.
However,
just four years ago, White’s rise to prominence in the NBA playoffs
would’ve seemed too far-fetched for anyone to imagine.
Born
in Parker, Colorado — a suburb of Denver — White signed with the
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) out of high school as a
6-foot combo guard. Everything changed when he shot up five inches by
the time he reached the NCAA Division II school, and he set new program
records for most points and assists in a career during his three seasons
with UCCS.
White then transferred to the main campus in Boulder and enjoyed a stellar 2016-17 campaign with the Pac 12’s Buffaloes that included first team all-conference honors.
The
Spurs, as they’ve done numerous times over the years, identified
White’s potential and targeted him with the 29th overall selection of
the 2017 NBA Draft. He immediately went to the G League, where he played
for the Austin Spurs and quickly earned a reputation as a cool customer
and a near-automatic scorer.
White
saw some time with San Antonio during his rookie year, but was used
sparingly as he made the transition to the NBA game. He was expected to
be utilized in a reserve role in his sophomore season, but once again an
unforeseen circumstance thrust him into the spotlight from relative
obscurity.
This
time, White’s big break came in the form of a season-ending injury to
another fledging star — Dejounte Murray. When the point guard tore his
ACL in the preseason, many Spurs fans wondered aloud who would be able
to replace his defensive prowess in addition to running the offense
smoothly from the point guard spot.
White was tabbed as the replacement, but his own foot injury sidelined him until early November against the Miami Heat. Once he entered the lineup, San Antonio’s perimeter defense was noticeably better, while its offense ran more efficiently than before.
White suffered an injury to his other foot in February, and some pundits openly wondered if it would derail the Spurs’ playoff hopes. Thankfully, he was back in plenty of time to round into form for San Antonio’s first-round matchup with his hometown Denver Nuggets.
And if Denver fans hadn’t heard of White prior to the series, you can bet they have now.
White scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting in San Antonio’s Game 1 win over the Nuggets, but that was nothing compared to his 36-point explosion in Game 3 Thursday at the AT&T Center. That’s right, White set a new career high in a pivotal playoff game, and did so while converting 15 of his 21 total field goals.
“He was obviously spectacular,” Popovich said after Game 3. “I don’t know what else to say.”
His
dominance was startling to most, as he did the majority of his damage
near the rim and with his mid-range game. White has proven he can shoot
the 3 as well, but his versatility is what separates him from other
young players at similar stages of development.
Denver
has vowed to make it their mission to stop White in Game 4, which is
likely the first time the youngster has been a focal point of an NBA
opponent’s game plan. It will definitely be interesting to watch White
react following his best game as a pro, especially in what amounts to a
must-win scenario for the Nuggets.
