BOSTON — It hasn’t been the smoothest start to the season for Derrick White. With a new role and new responsibilities staring him in the face, his efficiency splits have trailed off through the first seven games of the season, shooting just 30.8% from the field and 25.0% from beyond the arc.
White’s shot profile has been altered. That was always going to happen with the subtraction of Jayson Tatum (and Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford) from the lineup.
But Joe Mazzulla doesn’t care about those numbers.
“[I tell] all these guys, I don't really care about the numbers… You're defined by so much more than that, and what we need you to do goes beyond a percentage, or shots, or whatever the case may be,” Mazzulla said pre-game on Monday night.