Round One Is a Feast for White and Pritchard

Game One against the Orlando Magic was a reminder. Not of Tatum’s dominance or Brown’s athleticism—but of how damn deep this Celtics team really is.

Derrick White and Payton Pritchard feasted. Straight up. White looked like a man possessed—again—and Pritchard? Confident, aggressive, smooth. This wasn’t garbage time inflation. This was impact basketball. The kind of performance that wins you early-round playoff games while your stars warm up for the big show.

And before anyone starts wringing their hands over Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown putting up “mild” stat lines—relax. Take a walk. Maybe check your blood pressure while you’re at it.

Because here’s the thing: this is exactly what you want from a Celtics team built like this.

Did we all suddenly forget the Heat series last year? Derrick White was barreling toward a playoff MVP. He was everywhere—making shots, making stops, playing with edge. Then he disappeared in the final games, just as Tatum and Brown turned it up to punch Miami in the mouth.

This is the rhythm of a championship team. You don’t need your stars to empty the clip in Round One. You need your roster to flex. You need to see the depth shine. And when you’ve got guys like White and Pritchard doing this in Game One? That’s a very good sign.

Let the role players cook now. Let the alphas sharpen the knives for when Milwaukee, Philly, or whoever survives the West comes calling. These early games are where the Celtics’ depth makes them dangerous—not just better than Orlando, but better than everyone.

So if you're panicking over Tatum and Brown not going nuclear in a 20-point win over the Magic, please—take a deep breath. This team isn’t just winning. They’re pacing themselves.

And they’ve got snipers like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard leading the charge.

Let ‘em feast.

• Update. This point is even more pointiest with Tatum’s injury. Jaylen Brown went off in game 2 in the absence of Tatum, but the offense was shaky. Get White and Pritchard in rhythm. Get out of the first round healthy in 4 or 5 games and get your superstars the rest they will need for the true contests coming up.