The Boston Celtics posted the second-best defensive rating in the league this season, holding opponents to 109.2 points per game (fifth-lowest in the league) on 45.3% (second-lowest) shooting from the field and 35.2% (fourth-lowest) from distance.
At the heart of Boston’s defensive juggernaut stood their backcourt duo of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, affectionately dubbed “The Stock Exchange” by White’s father, Richard.
This tandem earned well-deserved recognition on Tuesday for their defensive contributions, as Holiday secured his sixth career All-Defensive team selection, marking his fourth consecutive season receiving this honor, and White earned his second consecutive second-team nod.
Holiday and White were joined on the second team by Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls, Jaden McDaniels of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic.
Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Herb Jones (New Orleans Pelicans), and Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) were all named to the first team.
In the voting results, White earned 98 points with 15 first-place votes and 68 second-place votes, while Holiday gathered 36 points with six first-place votes and 24 second-place votes.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum also received recognition, with Brown securing three first-place votes and one second-place vote and Tatum earning a pair of second-place votes.
The Celtics were one of just two teams to receive multiple All-Defense selections. Minnesota, which led the league in defensive rating, also received two selections.
White totaled career-highs in blocks (87) and steals (74) this season, averaging 1.2 and 1.0, respectively. The 29-year-old held opponents to 6.3 makes per game on 45.1% shooting. His 480 contested shots ranked third in the NBA amongst guards.
Had White not rested for a couple of games in the season’s final weeks, he probably would’ve topped the league in blocks by a guard for the second straight year. Instead, he concluded the season with 87 blocks, narrowly trailing Denver’s Peyton Watson (88) by just one, despite playing seven fewer games.
Meanwhile, Holiday recorded 57 blocks, his highest total since the 2018-19 season. He also held opponents to 45.1% shooting, 2.1% lower than their expected output.
As the Celtics prepare for their Eastern Conference Finals bout with the Indiana Pacers, their recipe for success starts on the defensive end, slowing down Tyrese Haliburton and this high-octane Pacers offense, a task that begins with Boston’s All-Defensive backcourt.
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