San Antonio Spurs: 3 potential breakout candidates for 2019-20
3. Derrick White
What would a breakout season for Derrick White entail?
- Taking an extra leap as a 3-point shooter )
- Improved body control on layups
- No more frustration fouls
As the final seconds ticked away in San Antonio’s 90-86 loss in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets, thoughts — one after another — began to surface.
There was, of course, the recurring fear that maybe a team anchored by LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan may never have that “it” factor needed to advance deep into the postseason. The memories of the multiple 19-point leads the Spurs blew. Above all else, though, was Derrick White.
There was good: White’s 36-point breakout in Game 3 was the one few saw coming. The man of zero scholarships and D-II collegiate struggles was long gone. That game brought him as close to a household name as he’d ever been — this dunk helped quite a bit, too.
Through three games, White averaged 23.0 points per game on 69.0 percent shooting. Subsequently, White put the target on himself. Denver went into the film room and ensured that White never again approached the 20-point barrier once more.
There was bad: the Nuggets, namely Gary Harris, amplified the pressure to the max.
Per NBA.com stats, White generated nearly one-quarter of his shots (3.3) with defenders six or more feet away from him in Games 1 through 3. Not only did the Nuggets cut that number nearly in half (2.0), but White’s total shot attempts dropped from 14.0 per game to just 8.3 in Games 4 to 7.
And there lies the ugly: Denver’s willingness to absolutely turn their backs to White, daring him to shoot. Here are two clips that articulate that well.
That lack of attention served as a constant theme throughout the Nuggets series, be it pick-and-roll sets, dribble handoffs, whatever the case was (including an especially lazy switch here at 0:23).
All offseason accounts point to White working hard to neutralize those weaknesses. In a story almost two months ago, Jabari Young of The Athletic helped shed light on White’s focus:
"“Another thing that will make him better: Repetition through intense practice. Understanding the Spurs will need him to be more efficient from 3, as it will open up more space for Aldridge and DeRozan and stretch defenses, White wants to convert 500 3-pointers every time he’s in the gym this offseason.”"
Those clips above also help to show another facet in which White can improve. The 6’4″ guard is incredibly gifted at getting to the rim — he ranked 2nd among Spurs at 8.4 drives per game. Per Synergy, when he got within five feet of the rim, he was rock solid, hitting on 53.0 percent of those shots.
And then, there’s White’s final goal for a breakout, something that simply comes with experience: eliminating frustration fouls. The compound effect of Denver’s defense and White’s fouling left him on the bench for most of that pivotal Game 7.
Pounding the Rock did a brief overview of this problem, though it’s largely something he should be able to fix quickly.
The lasting thought on White: It’s almost difficult to remember that he’s barely played the equivalent of a rookie season, just 84 games over two seasons. His game is more-or-less complete, with only small tweaks needed.
The last time the cameras were on him, he answered questions through glossy eyes and short breaths, almost holding back emotion. The passion and work ethic is there, and that’s something that makes next season’s transition all the more plausible.