Celtics’ Derrick White, Jrue Holiday earn All-Defensive Team honors

"They have the ability to guard different guys, different pick-and-roll coverages, pick-and-roll isolations, off-ball."

Jrue Holiday and Derrick White were both named to All-Defensive Team on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

May 21, 2024

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After a regular season where the Celtics cemented themselves as one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, it should come as little surprise that a few players are taking home individual accolades for their efforts.

Voting for the 2023-2024 NBA All-Defensive teams was revealed on Tuesday, with Celtics guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday both earning spots on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Both Jaylen Brown (7 points) and Jayson Tatum (2 points) also received votes for All-Defensive Team honors.

The complete voting results for the 2023-24 Kia NBA All-Defensive Team: pic.twitter.com/k3FODNJ0YU
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 21, 2024

This stands as the second straight year that White has earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team — with the 29-year-old guard recording a career-high 1.2 blocks per game and a career-best 74 steals over 73 games.

Holiday is now a six-time All-Defensive Team selection over his 15-year NBA career — including three First-Team selections (2018, 2021, 2023). Over 69 games with Boston this season, the 33-year-old guard recorded 61 steals and 53 blocks.

“Effort and versatility,” Joe Mazzulla said Tuesday of Holiday and White’s selections. “They have the ability to guard different guys, different pick-and-roll coverages, pick-and-roll isolations, off-ball. “Two versatile guys that you can put on different matchups and play different schemes with them and gives you a lot of flexibility.”

It’s worth noting that All-Defensive Teams are no longer sorted by position, with all five First Team selections (Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones, Anthony Davis) either forwards or centers. White and Holiday were the top vote-getters among guards this season.

It’s worth noting that All-Defensive Teams are no longer sorted by position, with all five First Team selections (Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Bam Adebayo, Herb Jones, Anthony Davis) are either forwards are centers. White and Holiday were the top vote-getters among guards this season.

Even though the case can be made that White or Holiday should have been considered for First Team, Mazzulla stressed that Boston’s sterling defensive numbers are a testament to the entire team’s contributions on that side of the ball.

“Those two guys get the vote, but I think one of the things that’s been great about this year is all the guys and their ability to defend at a high, high level,” Mazzulla said. “Everybody that’s out there takes their matchup personally.