Jrue Holiday and Derrick White named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics had one of the best defenses in the NBA all season, thanks in large part to their outstanding backcourt duo of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. The two received some All-Defensive love from the NBA on Tuesday.

Both Holiday and White were named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team, the NBA announced Tuesday afternoon. They'll celebrate that honor for a while and then try to slow down Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night at TD Garden.

Holiday is used to receiving All-Defensive honors, having now made the first or second team three times each. He was a Milwaukee Bucks All-Defensive First Team last season and also earned those honors in 2021 (with the Bucks) and 2018 (with the New Orleans Pelicans). Before this season, he was part of the All-Defensive second team in 2022 and 2019.

For White, this is his second straight season on the second team after setting new career highs with 87 blocks and 74 steals. He also faced 480 shots during the regular season, ranking third among all NBA guards. Not bad for a guy who is only 1.90 meters tall.

Holiday recorded 61 steals and 54 rejections, but his defense is about much more than just stats. He can bully almost anyone on the field and make life difficult for players whether they have the ball in their hands or not.

The Celtics fielded one of the best defenses in the NBA all season, ranking third with a defensive rating of 106.1. Only the Orlando Magic (100.0) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (104.5) finished ahead of Boston's defense.

White received 15 first-team votes and 68 second-team votes for a total of 98 points. Holiday finished with six first-team votes and 24 second-team votes for 36 points.

Elsewhere on the Boston roster, Jaylen Brown received three first-team votes and one second-team vote for a total of seven points, while Jayson Tatum received two second-team votes. Brown was All-Defensive Second Team last season, while Tatum has never received an All-Defensive nod in his career.

At some point, Tatum will get the defensive recognition he deserves, and Brown should make a few more All-Defensive teams before his time is up. Given Boston's defensive success all year, it's easy to make a case for them this season.

But it's hard to argue with the voters this year, too. Minnesota's Rudy Gobert led all players with 99 first-team votes and was joined on the first team by rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio, Miami's Bam Adebayo, New Orleans' Herb Jones and Los Angeles' Anthony Davis. Chicago's Alex Caruso, Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels and Orlando's Jalen Suggs joined White and Holiday on the second team.