Is Celtics Derrick White vs. Pistons Cade Cunningham the new rivalry?

Not every game in the NBA has a top matchup, as some teams don’t have a real star. I’m thinking Magic vs. Bird, Kobe vs. LeBron, Shaq vs. Yao Ming, Wilt vs. Russell, KD vs. LeBron and so on.

A new rivalry is brewing here: Derrick White vs. Cade Cunningham.

Let’s go back to where it all began this season. In October, the Detroit Pistons hosted the Boston Celtics and early in the game, Cunningham tried to put White on a poster, but White managed to get the block.

It seemed as if Cunningham wanted revenge on the block, and early in the second half Cade got his revenge. Cunningham dunked on White and the dunk led the Pistons to create an exciting game that looked like a blowout after outscoring Boston 31-21 in the third quarter.

In the same game in October, near the end of the game with less than a minute left, Cunningham attempted another striking dunk. This time, however, White had better timing and found Cunningham at the rim, where he made a huge block on the former Oklahoma State star.

“He attacked me earlier in the game, so I felt like I had to get revenge for that,” White said after the game.

Every Celtics fan knows that White is the best shot blocker in the NBA. This year, White is averaging one block per game. Derrick has been pressured many times in his NBA career, which is probably why he continues to refuse shots at the rim because he isn’t embarrassed about being featured on a poster like other NBA players are is the case. Due to White’s fearlessness, he is rewarded with a sensational block several times.

White led the rivalry 2-1 after being rejected twice to just one poster after their first meeting.

Fast forward to early December, when Boston welcomed Detroit to the Garden. It didn’t take long for Cunningham to equalize. With just under five minutes left in the first quarter, Cunningham picked up the loose ball and dribbled between two Celtics in transition before beating White at the rim.

At this point, Detroit had all the momentum, and a poster always seemed more forceful when a team immediately called a timeout. This gives the team more time to celebrate the dunk, and the broadcast will replay the dunk countless times during halftime.

Although Derrick White got another block on Cunningham later in the first half, Cunningham’s shot didn’t hit the rim, so it didn’t count toward the rivalry points. However, it was still a great block from Derrick White, so it had to be mentioned.

Both White and Cunningham are great players to watch, and when they’re on equal terms, it’s great basketball. In the battle between White’s defensive IQ and Cunningham’s crafty offensive bag and explosiveness, television cannot be missed.

Although Cunningham was the last laugh, the score is tied at two players. Derrick White will look to take back the lead tonight in Boston when the two face off again.