Paul Pierce says Derrick White is his favorite player on the Celtics: "He is a younger version of Jrue Holiday"

Derrick White has gone from being a controversial addition to Team USA to being one of the most important players on the squad.

White's knack for playing defense and his ability to fit in seamlessly with any group was on full display during the Americans' win against South Sudan in the 2024 Olympics . His presence was also felt during Team USA's first win against Serbia.

In light of White's exploits, Paul Pierce admitted on "Undisputed" that the 30-year-old is his favorite player on the team.

"I said to him last year, 'You're my favorite player on the team,'" said Pierce. "He's my favorite player on the team because he plays every part of the game. And what I mean by that is like if the shot goes up, he's offensive rebounding, he's defending, he's cutting, he never stops moving."

White proves his worth

Many, including Celtics fans, were up in arms when White was named as Kawhi Leonard's replacement. They felt the spot should have been given to his Boston teammate Jaylen Brown, who was coming off a postseason in which he won both the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP awards. But in a stunning move, USA Basketball opted for Derrick.

However, White has proved his worth in Team USA's two Olympic games so far. In their opening contest against Serbia, his imprint on defense was all over the court. Against South Sudan, Derrick scored 10 points on 3-3 three-point shooting with three steals and two blocked shots.

After two games, his +16.5 is third-best on the team behind Kevin Durant (+23) and Anthony Edwards(+17).

"He's a younger version of Jrue Holiday," added Pierce. "They're both kinda like similar in a way. They could both be on the ball or off the ball; you can put him on anybody defensively. All the intangibles can knock down shots. I mean that's why I said this is the perfect backcourt, the best defensive probably of all time, for the Celtics."

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The Celtics' bread and butter

Pierce's fellow Hall of Famer Reggie Miller agrees with his assessment of the Celtics' starting backcourt. During an appearance on the "Dan Patrick Show," Reggie said having White and Holiday start on the same backcourt is unfair .

"Let me say this about the Boston Celtics. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, it's almost unfair. Seriously, those two dudes do every single little thing that impacts winning," Miller said . "They take their team's temperature, whatever their team will need that night. I know all the headlines go to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown… But this team, the bread-and-butter, to me, is Holiday and White."

After helping the Celtics win the 2024 NBA championship, White and Holiday have taken their act to Paris. Every time coach Steve Kerr plays them with Bam Adebayo or Anthony Davis, Team USA's defense becomes impossible to beat.

The squad has enough firepower to outgun the rest of the world, but adding White has made Grant Hill look like a genius.

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