Jrue Holiday makes the case for a strong NBA All-Defensive team for Derrick White – NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics are one of the NBA’s elite defensive teams, and Derrick White is one of the players most responsible for that success.

White is an elite perimeter defender. He’s versatile enough to defend multiple positions, he’s athletic, he’s physical and his basketball IQ is off the charts.

He ranked second among all guards with 1.2 blocks per game during the regular season. White also had one steal per game and an impressive defensive rating of 109.9, while ranking seventh among guards in defensive win shares. He was a big reason the Celtics ranked No. 2 in defensive rating and No. 1 in net rating.

White’s Celtics teammates know better than anyone the impact he makes on the defensive end of the floor. After practice on Wednesday, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday made the case for White being named to one of the league’s All-Defensive teams.

“If he doesn’t get it, I’d be really surprised,” Holiday told reporters. “The things he does on defense, I mean he blocks shots over screens, from the three-point line and in the paint. He’ll chase you down to get a block at the rim. He makes it hard every time you hit the ball.

“I think the way he plays defense helps our defense and sets the tone for where we can stay closer to our guy because we know his individual defense is so good.”

White was selected to the All-Defensive second team last season. It was the first time he was named to one of those teams. After an even better season in 2023/24, White absolutely deserves to be in the first or second team.

White is not only a great defensive player. He has also made a huge impact offensively this season. He is scoring 22.8 points per game while shooting 50 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line during the playoffs.

His offensive contributions are very valuable, but if the Celtics want to win the NBA Finals this season, they will need White to play elite defense against some of the best perimeter players on the remaining playoff teams. That list includes Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Jamal Murray, Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Celtics-Cavs Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at 7:00 PM ET, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 6:00 PM Celtics Pregame Live from TD Garden.