Let’s be clear: when the San Antonio Spurs selected Derrick White with the 29th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, there was no expectation that he would come in and be an immediate contributor. Like many of the Spurs’ late first-round draft picks before him, White’s primary job this season was to work hard and develop his skills with the Austin Spurs in the G-League, and work hard, he did.
White excelled with the Austin Spurs, leading the team to its second minor league title, and showed enough spunk in 17 appearances with the varsity team to at least keep him on the team’s radar for next year.