The full roster of the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team includes Chicago’s Alex Caruso, Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez, Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., and Cleveland’s Evan Mobley. Along with White, the full All-Defensive Second Team roster features Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Toronto’s OG Anunoby, Memphis’ Dillon Brooks, and Golden State’s Draymond Green.
White now joins teammates both Al Horford and Marcus Smart, who have each earned All-Defensive honors in the past few years wearing Celtics green. The former recently summarized just how impressive White’s defense is.
“His instincts, how hard he plays, he’s really working hard out there,” Horford explained. “He’s trying to play the right way. He’s doing the right things and it’s very clear. I don’t have to oversell it, you just have to look at what it is.”
Defense can be difficult to quantify, especially for a player with a fluid role like White. Likewise, defensive stats are predominantly team-oriented. Robert Williams III recently joked as such with NBCSports Boston.
“We’re kinda in an argument about who gets what blocks,” said Williams III. “It seems like we’re both on the same play when it’s a blocked shot. I try to let him win a couple of them because he’s my guy but I gotta start taking some away from him.”
Regardless, White’s defensive stats are rather compelling, and are overwhelmingly confirmed by the eye test. To say he was Boston’s most consistent defensive contributor this year is far from hyperbole.
When president of basketball operations Brad Stevens swapped Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford and a 2022 first-round pick, the expectation was Boston had landed a steady force on offense. White has always been a solid defender, but the fact that he has emerged as such a key piece on that side of the ball is a spectacular result for the Celtics.
White, who was named to the 2017 Pac-12 All-Defensive team in college, was particularly effective as an individual defender this season. At six feet four inches, he presents good size on the perimeter, but his instincts and athleticism are really White’s strong suits. This becomes clear in transition settings, where White positively shines.
Earning an All-Defensive Second Team nod is a worthy recognition for one of the NBA’s best role players, and White joins a long list of Celtics greats to earn such an award. Boston has thus far benefited massively from White’s defense this postseason, and he’ll remain a critical piece as the team aims to push deeper into the playoffs.
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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire