One thing that struck me while watching this game was that Derrick White was being aggressive with his three-pointers. He wasn’t just standing around waiting for the perfect opportunity to arise before launching from deep. He was making his own opportunities by taking the ball and shooting in whoever’s face was there.
This will not please Gregg Popovich. Expect to see White’s minutes reduced next game in favor of someone who will tow (shoot) the company line (midrange jumpers) a bit more reliably. Someone like Dejounte Murray, maybe. Or Tyler Zeller.
Regardless of what his coach wants, White might be realizing that the path to success in the NBA for a guard involves a lot of threes. Think about all the great guards there are floating around the league these days, and then think about how many of them are timid with their three-point shot selection. It’s a threat that makes everything else possible. Otherwise you end up like Elfrid Payton; demonstrably good at many aspects of the game, but not very conducive to winning basketball.