The Boston Celtics acquired Derrick White a few hours before the NBA trade deadline, sending Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, and some draft value in exchange.

When a new player joins a team, Basketball Reference sees an increase in traffic as fans everywhere try to forecast how their team will improve, or in some cases, deteriorate. It’s a fun activity that can help paint a mental picture, but it can also assist build a prejudice towards said player’s fit on the squad or how their lack of a specific skill affects the club.

Numbers are fickle like that – cold, hard, and devoid of context. However, those statistics have a purpose, especially if you let them guide you.

When news of White’s move to Boston emerged, I began sifting through film footage, hoping to interpret his statistics and understand where White may aid the Celtics. Here’s what I discovered.

Playmaking

One of the first things that stands out is the increase in his assist totals this year. The 6’4” shooting guard has seen his assists per game climb from 3.5 to 5.6 this season, with Cleaning The Glass estimating that he assists on 25.5% of the Spurs’ made shots when he’s on the floor.

Sure, White’s assists were certainly aided by Dejounte Murray’s recent improvements, and having Doug McDermott on your squad wouldn’t hurt, but it was still worth a look.

When I first saw footage of White’s passing game, one of the first things I noticed was how eager he is to get the ball out of his hands. Regardless matter his positioning, the ball does not stick. Instead, he regularly makes the correct decision. As a result, it’s no surprise that the majority of the Colorado native’s dimes come around the rim. Indeed, 147 of his 292 assists this season have come within four feet of the rack.

Here’s a play that appears to be easily adaptable to the Celtics. White gets the rock on the wing and sells the phony pump to make a driving lane. Rather than jacking up a floater or forcing a contested shot, the fifth-year guard waits for the low defender to commit before dishing to Jakob Poeltl for an easy slam.

It’s a straightforward play with little excitement, but that seems to be how White like to operate when setting up his teammates.

Another translatable example of White’s willingness to involve his colleagues. This time, the play starts with a “wide” set, which Boston has used frequently under head coach Ime Udoka. Simply described, a “wide” play is a five-out (all players outside the perimeter) play in which a large sets an off-ball drag screen for the weakside guard or wing, and the ball handler passes once the screen receiver is free of his or her defender.

Still, White will have no trouble running this set, and based on how quickly he reacts to Bryn Forbes’ curl on the top play, we should expect the pace to pick up slightly. White, as you can undoubtedly tell from the preceding clips, likes to spice up his passes. For the most part, they’re slick, sharp, and on target, allowing his team to retain their pace of play and off-ball movement, something Udoka has been preaching all season.

Aside from executing the pass, White is particularly skilled at using his body to create driving lanes. Whether it’s a quick hip flip to change direction and leave his man recuperating, a shoulder feint to confuse a defender, or a hard halt to generate critical seconds to scan the floor, he’s got it all. Sure, the former San Antonio Spurs shooting guard isn’t the fastest person on the court, but he plays at his own pace and uses his length and court vision to his advantage.