The Boston Celtics are 37-16, which is good for second in the Eastern Conference and third in the NBA overall. They have one game remaining before the All-Star break when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

We just passed the three-year anniversary of when Boston acquired Derrick White at the trade deadline in 2022. Since then, White has been the most important player on the Celtics and arguably in the league.

Since joining the Celtics, White leads the NBA in wins, 171 individual and 211 including the postseason. He also has the third-best plus-minus in the league in that span at +1687, only Nikola Jokic and Jayson Tatum are ahead of him.

White has scored the most points, allowed the second-fewest points scored, advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals three times, and has been an All-NBA defender during this time. He has been outstanding for Boston.

The Celtics do-it-all guard is averaging 16.1 points per game on 58.6 percent shooting from inside the arc, both career-highs. White is also shooting 38.0 percent from behind the arc as he nears a new career-best shooting from deep.

This season has proved that the Celtics can only pull out a win if Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown aren’t playing at their best, if White is playing his normal and consistent game. When he shoots 40 percent or better, the Celtics are 25-7 this season.

Here are other news, notes, and takeaways from the Celtics:

• Luke Kornet (14.2) has the fourth-best net rating in the NBA this season, per NBA Stats.
• Al Horford on Kornet: “I feel like Luke Kornet has been key for us… because of that, I feel like all of us are stepping it up a little.”
• Jrue Holiday has missed three straight games, and with one game left before the All-Star break, he will likely be shutdown to rest and recover for the second half of the season and a hopeful deep playoff run.
• Payton Pritchard said that the NBA reached out to him about joining the 3-Point Contest. He’s averaging 41.6 percent (career-high), which ranks 24th overall in the NBA.
• Torrey Craig was acquired with an ankle injury that’s kept him on the sidelines since Dec. 30, he said he plans to be active soon, most likely after the All-Star break.
• Brad Stevens seems interested in filling the 15th roster spot. If he does, he could easily promote one of Boston’s two-way players, which is what Stevens usually enjoys to do at the end of the regular season. If that’s what Stevens decides to do, it would most likely be Drew Peterson because he’s spent more time with Boston this season than JD Davison and Anton Watson.
• Former Celtics Daniel Theis has agreed to a deal in the EuroLeague with AS Monaco after the NBA trade deadline moved him to OKC, who waived him shortly after. If he signs a multi-year deal, there will be a NBA Exit clause in his contract.
• Jayson Tatum tells reporter that although he grew up a Lakers fan, he doesn’t watch them as an adult and thinks there are a lot of Celtics fans. Tatum acknowledges the Luka Doncic trade was a big one.
• Sam Hauser says feels back on track over the past couple of weeks. He made five 3-pointers in the first half on Monday.

The Celtics have one more game before the All-Star break when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

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