Following a game in which he scored 30 points against the Knicks, the Boston guard currently holds the second-best plus/minus rating in the NBA with 184.

The cheers at TD Garden could be heard in the background as Derrick White went up to the free throw line with 21.3 seconds remaining on Friday night. At that point, the Boston Celtics had already secured their victory over the New York Knicks.

However, the chanting became much more audible after he made his second free shot, which resulted in his scoring his thirty-first point of the evening.

“M-V-P! M-V-P”

White was unable to ignore it, despite the fact that he is a humble person. As the Celtics guard reflected on the event after the game, he couldn’t help but break into a grin.

“It’s crazy,” White said. “We’ve got the best fans in the league so I’m always thankful and grateful for them. I know I’m not the MVP but it’s always cool to hear.”

In fact, that was not the first time he had ever heard it. In addition, White was showered with cries for Most Valuable Player during his outstanding performance in the Celtics’ Game 2 victory over the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs from the previous spring. White scored 26 points during that game.

The most of the time, white would be correct. Because he plays on the same court as Jayson Tatum, it is quite unlikely that he will ever be considered a genuine candidate for the Most Valuable Player award. At this moment, however, there is no doubt about the value that he brings to the Celtics. Isaiah Joe of Oklahoma City is now in first place in the NBA in terms of plus/minus, although he is currently in second place with a plus/minus of 184. 

Between his ability to make shots, his ability to pass, and all of the other little things he does on both ends of the court, he always seems to make the perfect plays. Although he may not be the Most Valuable Player, he is most likely the most consistent player for the Celtics.

That is what made the game that took place on Monday of last week so unexpected. White’s performance was not up to his usual level during the Celtics’ defeat at the hands of the Pacers. In spite of the fact that he ended up scoring 18 points and dishing out eight assists, he actually committed turnovers, one of which was the game-winning steal in the very last minute. Following that game, he was very critical of himself. It was in the second half of the game when he described his performance as “horrible.” Then, for the remainder of the week, he was required to remain seated on it.

“Obviously you think about it, especially when you’ve got all this time off which is rare in the NBA,” White said. “But after a couple days I moved on and just trying not to have two bad games in a row. And I played a lot better today.”

During the victory over the Knicks that took place on Friday, White displayed the kind of all-around effort that has become to be anticipated. Since he made six of his open shots from three-point range, it is not surprising that he scored thirty points. This is the second time in his Celtics career that he has reached that milestone. However, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla lauded his ability to strike a mix between scoring and facilitating. At no point did he commit any turnovers. A pair of steals and blocks were produced by him defensively, which is something that has become normal for him.

White is the quintessential glue player that runs the engine of a title candidate on a team that is filled with All-Stars and skill. He makes the proper plays regularly and has an impact on the game in so many different ways, yet he does not demand any of the credit for being the person who drives the engine. As seen by the game that took place on Friday, he is reliable because he does not allow the occasional poor performance to have a lasting impact. White did this on a nightly basis, despite the fact that he was the subject of headlines and chants for Most Valuable Player.

“I think more and more people are talking about it now, but I think he’s still underrated,” Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis said.

 “And I think where it really shows is of course he already puts up great stats and his numbers are really good. But if you don’t watch the game, what you don’t see is all those steals, something like where he recovers on defense when it’s already super late and somehow he gets a steal. Those kinds of small plays that can really change a game, really change the momentum, he’s really good at that.

“And I think that’s what … if you don’t watch the game, you don’t see. But when you watch the game you realize how important and how good he is.”