The Amazing Derrick White

[BitterJim]

I think we could have won the title last year even with Smart instead of Jrue

My main argument in this thread is about the title, Derrick White. The Smart trade did allow him (and to an extent, Pritchard) to carve out a bigger role for the team and be more involved in the 4th quarter and clutch moments.

Idk if White is this good if Smart is still on the team. Pritchard may not have remained here either.

Now if we want to debate the trades, the dynamic, whether we win it all or not and roster construction that can be a different thread

I agree with this, exactly.  Nothing against Smart, but his departure seemed to allow White and even Pritchard to blossom. Jrue did not replace Smart, they had different roles with Jrue being the more unselfish player, thus allowing White and Pritchard to step up. And yes, we came close to losing PP altogether as he was unhappy with his minutes, IIRC.

Pritchard's issue wasn't with Smart, it was with Brogdon. In the 2022-23 season Smart played 32.1 MPG, less than both Jrue and White this year. Meanwhile Brogdon's 26 MPG was replaced with 4 more White minutes, 10 more Pritchard minutes, 6 more Hauser minutes, and presumably us playing smaller.

I really prefer Pritchard in that 6th man role, too, he's a much better spark plug, more durable, and I think despite the size difference is a better defender. Trading Brogdanwas the key that unlocked Pritchard, he could have had the same breakout with Smart instead of Jrue. White would have had a slightly larger role with not Beogdan, but not as much as after trading Smart

[Surferdad]

I think we could have won the title last year even with Smart instead of Jrue

My main argument in this thread is about the title, Derrick White. The Smart trade did allow him (and to an extent, Pritchard) to carve out a bigger role for the team and be more involved in the 4th quarter and clutch moments.

Idk if White is this good if Smart is still on the team. Pritchard may not have remained here either.

Now if we want to debate the trades, the dynamic, whether we win it all or not and roster construction that can be a different thread

I agree with this, exactly.  Nothing against Smart, but his departure seemed to allow White and even Pritchard to blossom. Jrue did not replace Smart, they had different roles with Jrue being the more unselfish player, thus allowing White and Pritchard to step up. And yes, we came close to losing PP altogether as he was unhappy with his minutes, IIRC.

Pritchard's issue wasn't with Smart, it was with Brogdon. In the 2022-23 season Smart played 32.1 MPG, less than both Jrue and White this year. Meanwhile Brogdon's 26 MPG was replaced with 4 more White minutes, 10 more Pritchard minutes, 6 more Hauser minutes, and presumably us playing smaller.

I really prefer Pritchard in that 6th man role, too, he's a much better spark plug, more durable, and I think despite the size difference is a better defender. Trading Brogdanwas the key that unlocked Pritchard, he could have had the same breakout with Smart instead of Jrue. White would have had a slightly larger role with not Beogdan, but not as much as after trading Smart

I guess you are right about Brogdon blocking PP, but my and Phantom255x main point was really about the growth of DWhite without Smart (as this is a DWhite thread).

[No Nickname]

We woulda spanked the Warriors in 2022 if THIS D.White had showed up.

Yeah, I don't like to think about that. This Derrick White is more than we all could have hoped for. He actually was lowkey great the next season, as he started for much of it with Rob's health issues. That rebound put back in game 6 against Miami should have been it. Luckily it all worked out last season, but it doesn't mean that we didn't blow a couple of great opportunities the couple of years before.

I know his stats aren't totally there, but I hope he makes the All-Star team this season. He deserves to be there. With KP coming back, his stats could take even more of a hit, though.

White had gone off in Game 1 of the 2022 Finals if people remember. He was actually "Derrick Curry" that night and dominated especially the 2nd half.

I know I'll get hate for saying it, but I do think Smart leaving opened the door for guys like Pritchard and White and they've made the most of their opportunities. White was a much better fit and a better player than Smart to build around the Jays.

... and then the Jrue trade came along, and we acquired a player that had all of Smart's strengths and none of his weaknesses.  It couldn't have played out better for us in terms of our guard rotation.

As for PP, simply trading Brogdon allowed him more opportunity. Brogdon also appears to be a bit of a malcontent. Moving on from him and Grant probably didn't hurt locker room camaraderie.

There's really no confirmation of any of this.  Brogdon is as professional as they come. 

When you're a ROY, DPOY, and one of only NINE players in the history of the NBA with a 50/40/90 season, you SHOULD think highly of yourself. 

He's a [dang] good player and we got him for a steal.  And he played [dang] well for us. 

Criticize him all you want for his injuries, which is about all anyone should do (even though no one can control that).

Players with 50?40?90 season:
? Larry Bird - 1987 & 1988 (2?)
? Mark Price - 1989 (1?)
? Reggie Miller - 1994 (1?)
? Steve Nash - 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 (4?)
? Dirk Nowitzki - 2007 (1?)
? Kevin Durant - 2013 & 2023 (2?)
? Stephen Curry - 2016 (1?)
? Malcolm Brogdon - 2019 (1?)
? Kyrie Irving - 2021 (1?)

[tonydelk]

We woulda spanked the Warriors in 2022 if THIS D.White had showed up.

Yeah, I don't like to think about that. This Derrick White is more than we all could have hoped for. He actually was lowkey great the next season, as he started for much of it with Rob's health issues. That rebound put back in game 6 against Miami should have been it. Luckily it all worked out last season, but it doesn't mean that we didn't blow a couple of great opportunities the couple of years before.

I know his stats aren't totally there, but I hope he makes the All-Star team this season. He deserves to be there. With KP coming back, his stats could take even more of a hit, though.

White had gone off in Game 1 of the 2022 Finals if people remember. He was actually "Derrick Curry" that night and dominated especially the 2nd half.

I know I'll get hate for saying it, but I do think Smart leaving opened the door for guys like Pritchard and White and they've made the most of their opportunities. White was a much better fit and a better player than Smart to build around the Jays.

... and then the Jrue trade came along, and we acquired a player that had all of Smart's strengths and none of his weaknesses.  It couldn't have played out better for us in terms of our guard rotation.

As for PP, simply trading Brogdon allowed him more opportunity. Brogdon also appears to be a bit of a malcontent. Moving on from him and Grant probably didn't hurt locker room camaraderie.

There's really no confirmation of any of this.  Brogdon is as professional as they come. 

When you're a ROY, DPOY, and one of only NINE players in the history of the NBA with a 50/40/90 season, you SHOULD think highly of yourself. 

He's a [dang] good player and we got him for a steal.  And he played [dang] well for us. 

Criticize him all you want for his injuries, which is about all anyone should do (even though no one can control that).

Players with 50?40?90 season:
? Larry Bird - 1987 & 1988 (2?)
? Mark Price - 1989 (1?)
? Reggie Miller - 1994 (1?)
? Steve Nash - 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 (4?)
? Dirk Nowitzki - 2007 (1?)
? Kevin Durant - 2013 & 2023 (2?)
? Stephen Curry - 2016 (1?)
? Malcolm Brogdon - 2019 (1?)
? Kyrie Irving - 2021 (1?)

I don't think Brogdon was a malcontent until after the report of him being traded in the original deal for KP.  The reports stated he requested a trade and wouldn't respond to the team.  He did not handle the trade very well but outside of that he's always reported to be a professional and a good guy.

[Neurotic Guy]

We woulda spanked the Warriors in 2022 if THIS D.White had showed up.

Yeah, I don't like to think about that. This Derrick White is more than we all could have hoped for. He actually was lowkey great the next season, as he started for much of it with Rob's health issues. That rebound put back in game 6 against Miami should have been it. Luckily it all worked out last season, but it doesn't mean that we didn't blow a couple of great opportunities the couple of years before.

I know his stats aren't totally there, but I hope he makes the All-Star team this season. He deserves to be there. With KP coming back, his stats could take even more of a hit, though.

White had gone off in Game 1 of the 2022 Finals if people remember. He was actually "Derrick Curry" that night and dominated especially the 2nd half.

I know I'll get hate for saying it, but I do think Smart leaving opened the door for guys like Pritchard and White and they've made the most of their opportunities. White was a much better fit and a better player than Smart to build around the Jays.

... and then the Jrue trade came along, and we acquired a player that had all of Smart's strengths and none of his weaknesses.  It couldn't have played out better for us in terms of our guard rotation.

As for PP, simply trading Brogdon allowed him more opportunity. Brogdon also appears to be a bit of a malcontent. Moving on from him and Grant probably didn't hurt locker room camaraderie.

There's really no confirmation of any of this.  Brogdon is as professional as they come. 

When you're a ROY, DPOY, and one of only NINE players in the history of the NBA with a 50/40/90 season, you SHOULD think highly of yourself. 

He's a [dang] good player and we got him for a steal.  And he played [dang] well for us. 

Criticize him all you want for his injuries, which is about all anyone should do (even though no one can control that).

Players with 50?40?90 season:
? Larry Bird - 1987 & 1988 (2?)
? Mark Price - 1989 (1?)
? Reggie Miller - 1994 (1?)
? Steve Nash - 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 (4?)
? Dirk Nowitzki - 2007 (1?)
? Kevin Durant - 2013 & 2023 (2?)
? Stephen Curry - 2016 (1?)
? Malcolm Brogdon - 2019 (1?)
? Kyrie Irving - 2021 (1?)

I don't think Brogdon was a malcontent until after the report of him being traded in the original deal for KP.  The reports stated he requested a trade and wouldn't respond to the team.  He did not handle the trade very well but outside of that he's always reported to be a professional and a good guy.

Really good player. Not much of a smiler but good player and a pro.   But I wouldn?t trade DW, Jrue, or KP for him talent-wise.  Everything considered, I wouldn?t trade Pritchard for him either.

[No Nickname]

We woulda spanked the Warriors in 2022 if THIS D.White had showed up.

Yeah, I don't like to think about that. This Derrick White is more than we all could have hoped for. He actually was lowkey great the next season, as he started for much of it with Rob's health issues. That rebound put back in game 6 against Miami should have been it. Luckily it all worked out last season, but it doesn't mean that we didn't blow a couple of great opportunities the couple of years before.

I know his stats aren't totally there, but I hope he makes the All-Star team this season. He deserves to be there. With KP coming back, his stats could take even more of a hit, though.

White had gone off in Game 1 of the 2022 Finals if people remember. He was actually "Derrick Curry" that night and dominated especially the 2nd half.

I know I'll get hate for saying it, but I do think Smart leaving opened the door for guys like Pritchard and White and they've made the most of their opportunities. White was a much better fit and a better player than Smart to build around the Jays.

... and then the Jrue trade came along, and we acquired a player that had all of Smart's strengths and none of his weaknesses.  It couldn't have played out better for us in terms of our guard rotation.

As for PP, simply trading Brogdon allowed him more opportunity. Brogdon also appears to be a bit of a malcontent. Moving on from him and Grant probably didn't hurt locker room camaraderie.

There's really no confirmation of any of this.  Brogdon is as professional as they come. 

When you're a ROY, DPOY, and one of only NINE players in the history of the NBA with a 50/40/90 season, you SHOULD think highly of yourself. 

He's a [dang] good player and we got him for a steal.  And he played [dang] well for us. 

Criticize him all you want for his injuries, which is about all anyone should do (even though no one can control that).

Players with 50?40?90 season:
? Larry Bird - 1987 & 1988 (2?)
? Mark Price - 1989 (1?)
? Reggie Miller - 1994 (1?)
? Steve Nash - 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 (4?)
? Dirk Nowitzki - 2007 (1?)
? Kevin Durant - 2013 & 2023 (2?)
? Stephen Curry - 2016 (1?)
? Malcolm Brogdon - 2019 (1?)
? Kyrie Irving - 2021 (1?)

I don't think Brogdon was a malcontent until after the report of him being traded in the original deal for KP.  The reports stated he requested a trade and wouldn't respond to the team.  He did not handle the trade very well but outside of that he's always reported to be a professional and a good guy.

Really good player. Not much of a smiler but good player and a pro.   But I wouldn?t trade DW, Jrue, or KP for him talent-wise.  Everything considered, I wouldn?t trade Pritchard for him either.

Just so I don't seem like a shill for Brogdon, I agree with everything you say here.

Well maybe except for the Pritchard part, if you are continuing with a "talent-wise" evaluation.

If you're factorihng in age/salary/health concerns, and not just talent, then I'm with you.

[Roy H.]

We woulda spanked the Warriors in 2022 if THIS D.White had showed up.

Yeah, I don't like to think about that. This Derrick White is more than we all could have hoped for. He actually was lowkey great the next season, as he started for much of it with Rob's health issues. That rebound put back in game 6 against Miami should have been it. Luckily it all worked out last season, but it doesn't mean that we didn't blow a couple of great opportunities the couple of years before.

I know his stats aren't totally there, but I hope he makes the All-Star team this season. He deserves to be there. With KP coming back, his stats could take even more of a hit, though.

White had gone off in Game 1 of the 2022 Finals if people remember. He was actually "Derrick Curry" that night and dominated especially the 2nd half.

I know I'll get hate for saying it, but I do think Smart leaving opened the door for guys like Pritchard and White and they've made the most of their opportunities. White was a much better fit and a better player than Smart to build around the Jays.

... and then the Jrue trade came along, and we acquired a player that had all of Smart's strengths and none of his weaknesses.  It couldn't have played out better for us in terms of our guard rotation.

As for PP, simply trading Brogdon allowed him more opportunity. Brogdon also appears to be a bit of a malcontent. Moving on from him and Grant probably didn't hurt locker room camaraderie.

There's really no confirmation of any of this.  Brogdon is as professional as they come. 

When you're a ROY, DPOY, and one of only NINE players in the history of the NBA with a 50/40/90 season, you SHOULD think highly of yourself. 

He's a [dang] good player and we got him for a steal.  And he played [dang] well for us. 

Criticize him all you want for his injuries, which is about all anyone should do (even though no one can control that).

Players with 50?40?90 season:
? Larry Bird - 1987 & 1988 (2?)
? Mark Price - 1989 (1?)
? Reggie Miller - 1994 (1?)
? Steve Nash - 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 (4?)
? Dirk Nowitzki - 2007 (1?)
? Kevin Durant - 2013 & 2023 (2?)
? Stephen Curry - 2016 (1?)
? Malcolm Brogdon - 2019 (1?)
? Kyrie Irving - 2021 (1?)

I don't think Brogdon was a malcontent until after the report of him being traded in the original deal for KP.  The reports stated he requested a trade and wouldn't respond to the team.  He did not handle the trade very well but outside of that he's always reported to be a professional and a good guy.

Really good player. Not much of a smiler but good player and a pro.   But I wouldn?t trade DW, Jrue, or KP for him talent-wise.  Everything considered, I wouldn?t trade Pritchard for him either.

Just so I don't seem like a shill for Brogdon, I agree with everything you say here.

Well maybe except for the Pritchard part, if you are continuing with a "talent-wise" evaluation.

If you're factorihng in age/salary/health concerns, and not just talent, then I'm with you.

Pritchard vs. Brogdon is a real debate, comparing Pritchard this season to Brogdon's 6MOY. I think Pritchard has a small lead at this point.

[No Nickname]

We woulda spanked the Warriors in 2022 if THIS D.White had showed up.

Yeah, I don't like to think about that. This Derrick White is more than we all could have hoped for. He actually was lowkey great the next season, as he started for much of it with Rob's health issues. That rebound put back in game 6 against Miami should have been it. Luckily it all worked out last season, but it doesn't mean that we didn't blow a couple of great opportunities the couple of years before.

I know his stats aren't totally there, but I hope he makes the All-Star team this season. He deserves to be there. With KP coming back, his stats could take even more of a hit, though.

White had gone off in Game 1 of the 2022 Finals if people remember. He was actually "Derrick Curry" that night and dominated especially the 2nd half.

I know I'll get hate for saying it, but I do think Smart leaving opened the door for guys like Pritchard and White and they've made the most of their opportunities. White was a much better fit and a better player than Smart to build around the Jays.

... and then the Jrue trade came along, and we acquired a player that had all of Smart's strengths and none of his weaknesses.  It couldn't have played out better for us in terms of our guard rotation.

As for PP, simply trading Brogdon allowed him more opportunity. Brogdon also appears to be a bit of a malcontent. Moving on from him and Grant probably didn't hurt locker room camaraderie.

There's really no confirmation of any of this.  Brogdon is as professional as they come. 

When you're a ROY, DPOY, and one of only NINE players in the history of the NBA with a 50/40/90 season, you SHOULD think highly of yourself. 

He's a [dang] good player and we got him for a steal.  And he played [dang] well for us. 

Criticize him all you want for his injuries, which is about all anyone should do (even though no one can control that).

Players with 50?40?90 season:
? Larry Bird - 1987 & 1988 (2?)
? Mark Price - 1989 (1?)
? Reggie Miller - 1994 (1?)
? Steve Nash - 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 (4?)
? Dirk Nowitzki - 2007 (1?)
? Kevin Durant - 2013 & 2023 (2?)
? Stephen Curry - 2016 (1?)
? Malcolm Brogdon - 2019 (1?)
? Kyrie Irving - 2021 (1?)

I don't think Brogdon was a malcontent until after the report of him being traded in the original deal for KP.  The reports stated he requested a trade and wouldn't respond to the team.  He did not handle the trade very well but outside of that he's always reported to be a professional and a good guy.

Really good player. Not much of a smiler but good player and a pro.   But I wouldn?t trade DW, Jrue, or KP for him talent-wise.  Everything considered, I wouldn?t trade Pritchard for him either.

Just so I don't seem like a shill for Brogdon, I agree with everything you say here.

Well maybe except for the Pritchard part, if you are continuing with a "talent-wise" evaluation.

If you're factorihng in age/salary/health concerns, and not just talent, then I'm with you.

Pritchard vs. Brogdon is a real debate, comparing Pritchard this season to Brogdon's 6MOY. I think Pritchard has a small lead at this point.

The season is still young.  Once Pritchard wins 6MOY then let's talk.

And yes, I HOPE he wins 6MOY!!!  I would love to debate this.  hahaha!

[jambr380]

Funny enough, that Theis/Nesmith/1st for Brogdon deal, which was actually a slam dunk at the time, may have actually been a ?rip off?

Pritchard has emerged as a totally effective 6th man scorer, Nesmith has emerged as a two-way defensive wing, and Theis is Theis as an effective back-up rotational big.

Of course using Brogdon to trade for Jrue was huge; but if we knew that Pritchard could essentially fill Brogdon?s role, then maybe we could have at least saved that 1st if we instead used Theis/Nesmith as salary filler in the Jrue deal.

I am of course not super-serious about this, since if Brogdon doesn?t hurt his elbow in the ECF, we might be talking about a 3-peat right now. It?s hard to factor in injuries in a trade. It?s just funny that the White deal, which seemed to be similar value at the time, ended up being considerably better.

[Neurotic Guy]

We woulda spanked the Warriors in 2022 if THIS D.White had showed up.

Yeah, I don't like to think about that. This Derrick White is more than we all could have hoped for. He actually was lowkey great the next season, as he started for much of it with Rob's health issues. That rebound put back in game 6 against Miami should have been it. Luckily it all worked out last season, but it doesn't mean that we didn't blow a couple of great opportunities the couple of years before.

I know his stats aren't totally there, but I hope he makes the All-Star team this season. He deserves to be there. With KP coming back, his stats could take even more of a hit, though.

White had gone off in Game 1 of the 2022 Finals if people remember. He was actually "Derrick Curry" that night and dominated especially the 2nd half.

I know I'll get hate for saying it, but I do think Smart leaving opened the door for guys like Pritchard and White and they've made the most of their opportunities. White was a much better fit and a better player than Smart to build around the Jays.

... and then the Jrue trade came along, and we acquired a player that had all of Smart's strengths and none of his weaknesses.  It couldn't have played out better for us in terms of our guard rotation.

As for PP, simply trading Brogdon allowed him more opportunity. Brogdon also appears to be a bit of a malcontent. Moving on from him and Grant probably didn't hurt locker room camaraderie.

There's really no confirmation of any of this.  Brogdon is as professional as they come. 

When you're a ROY, DPOY, and one of only NINE players in the history of the NBA with a 50/40/90 season, you SHOULD think highly of yourself. 

He's a [dang] good player and we got him for a steal.  And he played [dang] well for us. 

Criticize him all you want for his injuries, which is about all anyone should do (even though no one can control that).

Players with 50?40?90 season:
? Larry Bird - 1987 & 1988 (2?)
? Mark Price - 1989 (1?)
? Reggie Miller - 1994 (1?)
? Steve Nash - 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 (4?)
? Dirk Nowitzki - 2007 (1?)
? Kevin Durant - 2013 & 2023 (2?)
? Stephen Curry - 2016 (1?)
? Malcolm Brogdon - 2019 (1?)
? Kyrie Irving - 2021 (1?)

I don't think Brogdon was a malcontent until after the report of him being traded in the original deal for KP.  The reports stated he requested a trade and wouldn't respond to the team.  He did not handle the trade very well but outside of that he's always reported to be a professional and a good guy.

Really good player. Not much of a smiler but good player and a pro.   But I wouldn?t trade DW, Jrue, or KP for him talent-wise.  Everything considered, I wouldn?t trade Pritchard for him either.

Just so I don't seem like a shill for Brogdon, I agree with everything you say here.

Well maybe except for the Pritchard part, if you are continuing with a "talent-wise" evaluation.

If you're factorihng in age/salary/health concerns, and not just talent, then I'm with you.

Yes, that?s what I meant by ?everything considered?.    But I think others are prepared to make the talent-wise argument.

[Phantom255x]

I feel the issue with Brogdon and Smart in 2023 was that their defense just wasn't that great. Idk if it was injuries (Brogdon was dealing with something) but both guys had the calling card of being able to play elite, hounding defense and yet they seemed to actually slip on that end in the 2nd half of the year + playoffs. And especially that Heat series (granted, no one really did well that series).

I agree Smart in 2021 and 2022 was an elite defender and deserved the DPOY in 2022. He fell off in 2023 though on that end and it was noticeable.

Pritchard may have some flaws, being smaller but he's actually been a "pesky" defender and has held his own nicely. In fact I remember even in the Finals he was occasionally matched up on Doncic and actually did pretty well. Yes, brief moments but he's not a complete liability defensively while also being able to shoot like Steph Curry lol 

[Vermont Green]

I think we could have won the title last year even with Smart instead of Jrue

My main argument in this thread is about the title, Derrick White. The Smart trade did allow him (and to an extent, Pritchard) to carve out a bigger role for the team and be more involved in the 4th quarter and clutch moments.

Idk if White is this good if Smart is still on the team. Pritchard may not have remained here either.

Now if we want to debate the trades, the dynamic, whether we win it all or not and roster construction that can be a different thread

I have been meaning to get back to this regarding Derrick White.  If you look at a few key stats, White's role/opportunities increased some, but not all that much, after Smart was traded before the 2023-24 season:

           2022-23       2023-24       2024-25
Pts         12.4              15.2            18.4
FGA        9.2               11.5            13.4
Usage    17.4%          18.3%         19.9%
Min        28.3              32.6            34.2

So yes, White got a few more points on a couple more FTA and slightly more usage.  The guard rotation went from:

Smart/White/Brogdon
to
Holiday/White/Pritchard

I don't think this has much to do with Smart and has a lot to do with Derrick White just continuing to get better and more confident in Boston.  At best it is debatable, certainly not definitive.  We traded Smart and Brogdon and got Porzingis and Holiday.  The team, White included, got better, not because Smart isn't here, but because Holiday and Porzingis are here.  And in White's case, because he got more comfortable and more experienced.

[Roy H.]

One of the odd things about White in 2023 was that, even though he was a starter, sometimes he wasn't a closer.  I remember at least one game where Joe said he sort of "forgot about" White down the stretch of a game.  That's in part because Brogdon was an excellent player, and Smart was entrenched in a closer role.

Having more of a defined hierarchy helps the team thrive, and White is one of the biggest beneficiaries of that.

[Vermont Green]

In 2022-23, 4th QTR minutes:

White        6.9 min/gm
Smart       7.5 min/gm
Brogdon    7.4 min/gm

So both Brogdon and Smart were playing little more than White in the 4th quarter. 

Since:

2023-24
White         8.4 min/gm
Holiday       8.4 min/gm

2024-25
White        9.7 min/gm
Holiday      7.7 min/gm

I guess what the argument is that if somehow we had traded Brogdon for Porzingis and then kept Smart (didn't trade for Holiday), that White would not have continued to improve or not as much?  That Smart would have blocked White in a way that Holiday hasn't?  I am not sure these numbers support that.  I would expect that Smart and White would have gotten similar minutes and opportunities as Holiday and White have gotten.  Brogdon's overall minutes and 4th QTR minutes would have gone more to White and Smart than Pritchard, just like they have done with White and Holiday.

We were overloaded at the combo guard with Smart, Brogdon, White, and Pritchard.  Their first choice was to trade Brogdon for a big.  When that fell through, they traded Smart for a big.  When Holiday fell into their lap, they decided to trade Brogdon.  White was a keeper all along.  I assume MEM would have had interest in White as well as Smart.  They were right in keeping White.

[Roy H.]

In 2022-23, 4th QTR minutes:

White        6.9 min/gm
Smart       7.5 min/gm
Brogdon    7.4 min/gm

So both Brogdon and Smart were playing little more than White in the 4th quarter. 

Since:

2023-24
White         8.4 min/gm
Holiday       8.4 min/gm

2024-25
White        9.7 min/gm
Holiday      7.7 min/gm

I guess what the argument is that if somehow we had traded Brogdon for Porzingis and then kept Smart (didn't trade for Holiday), that White would not have continued to improve or not as much?  That Smart would have blocked White in a way that Holiday hasn't?  I am not sure these numbers support that.  I would expect that Smart and White would have gotten similar minutes and opportunities as Holiday and White have gotten.  Brogdon's overall minutes and 4th QTR minutes would have gone more to White and Smart than Pritchard, just like they have done with White and Holiday.

We were overloaded at the combo guard with Smart, Brogdon, White, and Pritchard.  Their first choice was to trade Brogdon for a big.  When that fell through, they traded Smart for a big.  When Holiday fell into their lap, they decided to trade Brogdon.  White was a keeper all along.  I assume MEM would have had interest in White as well as Smart.  They were right in keeping White.

I think the argument is more simple than that:  Jrue + White + Pritchard is the best possible guard rotation we could have ended up with, when you consider level of play on both ends, the locker room and egos, and contracts.