The Boston Celtics will be in unfamiliar territory this upcoming season. Jayson Tatum is on the shelf with an Achilles tear. So, the Celtics aren’t being looked at as a favorite in the Eastern Conference despite being a top-two seed each of the last four years.
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Even once Tatum gets back, the roster around him will look much different. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet are all gone. Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang, and the 28th overall pick, Huge Gonzalez, are in their place.
Derrick White is one of the few remaining constants on the Celtics roster. On his new podcast, White Noise, White spoke about how much the team is going to miss Holiday, Porzingis, and Kornet, all of whom helped Boston win its record-setting 18th NBA title in 2024.
“Jrue allowed me to be me, allowed me to step into my own and do what I do, when he could have easily [and I would have let him], if he was like, ‘I need the ball, I need to do this,'” White said.
“It was unbelievable to be his teammate. Loved having him here. Great guy, great family … We’ll definitely miss him. You can’t really replace a Jrue Holiday,” he added.
White complimented Porzingis as well. “KP, he’s the best. He just wants the best for everybody, and he’s just so giving and so caring, especially on the court,” he said.
“He [Porzingis] has so much fun, just does his own thing… Man, I loved having him on the team… He’s as cool as it gets, and he’s a unicorn for a reason. Nobody can do the things that he does,” praised White.
Kornet left the Celtics in free agency to join White’s old team, the San Antonio Spurs, on a four-year, $40.7 million contract. That’s a deal that White believes is richly deserved.
“I’m so happy for him [Kornet]. Nobody deserves it more than him. This is a guy that was a two-way, was cut, Exhibit 10s, he could have had more money elsewhere than came back with us, and for most of the year, he was carrying us,” White said.
“Just a great guy, a great teammate,” he continued. “Cares about you, cares about your family. Great family and great people. You hate to see him go, but you’re so happy to see him get what he deserves. San Antonio is gonna love him.”
The Celtics have undergone major changes since the season ended, but they’re probably not done making moves. Al Horford is still out there as a free agent, and the team could use some size after the exit of Porzingis and Kornet.
Despite the changes, fans shouldn’t count Boston out just yet. Other teams in the East have been hit hard by injuries. So if Joe Mazzulla’s team can stay in the race until Tatum gets back, then a surprise playoff run isn’t out of the question.
