Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson was an assistant coach with the team’s G League affiliate in Austin, Texas, in 2017, when San Antonio’s first-round pick, Derrick White, made his debut.
“And he got his butt kicked by Donald Sloan and Justin Dentmon,” Johnson said with a smile Wednesday, before the Spurs faced the Celtics, “and I believe he broke his wrist that same day, in that game. He was out for maybe a month and a half, and that was the only reason he finished the G League with us in Austin, because he was out. We won the championship and it was a joke he was even on the floor; he was that good.
“And it’s just a testament to him and everything he’s done since then. He’s as stand-up as a man, has a beautiful family now and is an absolute star and everything he’s gotten he deserves by thousands.”
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White, of course, became a valuable part of San Antonio’s core before he was traded to the Celtics midway through the 2022 season. Monday marked the third anniversary of that deal.
“He was a foundational piece of our team, one of our better players and one of the bigger presences in the organization at the time,” Johnson said. “And so [the trade] was a very, very difficult decision, conversation, interaction for everyone involved. I do think we felt good about him going to a really good situation in Boston, which, obviously it’s been that and more. But Derrick is class and he’s a great guy and he has a better sense of humor than I like to give him credit for.”
Brown misses second straight
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown missed his second game in a row because of right knee swelling and guard Jrue Holiday missed his third consecutive game with a shoulder impingement. Also, forward Xavier Tillman was sidelined because of knee inflammation.
Torrey Craig, who was signed last week after being waived by the Bulls and had been sidelined since spraining his ankle in early January, was cleared to make his Celtics debut.
Before the game coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about Craig’s potential contributions in the coming weeks.
“Just like the rest of our bench, having an understanding of what their role is,” Mazzulla said “Anyone can help us on any given night and you’ve got to be ready to play, and whatever gives us the ability to win a matchup in any stretch of games.”
Craig appeared in just nine games for Chicago this season, averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 42.9 percent from the 3-point line.
The Spurs were without backup center Charles Bassey (knee).
Kornet is key
After the Celtics defeated the Heat Monday, big man Al Horford was asked about how the team regained its rhythm over the last two weeks after a wobbly January. Horford singled out backup center Luke Kornet and said that he has been a key to the mini revival.
Mazzulla echoed that sentiment.
“I think this is some of the best basketball he’s played at both ends of the floor,” he said. “He’s taking on the challenge of guarding other big men, just the physicality he’s playing with protecting the rim. We saw that in the beginning of the game against the Knicks. Just his physicality and rim protection is contagious, but he also brings a level of joy on and off the court.”
Over the last 10 games Kornet is averaging 6.5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 0.8 blocks while shooting 70 percent from the field.
