Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) high-fives guard Jrue Holiday (4) prior to the start of a game against the Houston Rockets at TD Garden. Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics backcourt earns high praise with All-NBA selections

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 5/21/24

The Boston Celtics have one of the most dynamic backcourts in the NBA.

Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are both two-way talents, meaning they can thrive on offense and defense. The Celtics finished the regular season ranked second for defensive rating. White and Holiday were a significant part of that stringent rearguard.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced its All-Defensive teams, and both White and Holiday were selected to the All-Defensive Second Team. Their inclusion is another indication of how talented Boston's roster is, with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum also expected to be named as All-NBA selections.

2023-24 NBA All-Defensive teams:

First team: Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Herb Jones

Second team: Alex Caruso, Jrue Holiday, Jaden McDaniels, Jalen Suggs, Derrick White
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 21, 2024

White has now been named to an All-Defensive team on back-to-back occasions, while Holiday is now a six-time All-Defensive selection. As such, it's safe to say that both guards have proven themselves as some of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA throughout their careers.

The Celtics will likely keep their celebrations to a minimum. They will open their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday evening. Joe Mazzulla's roster came into the season with aspirations of winning a championship. There's no time for individual accolades when chasing such a lofty goal.

Still, for Celtics fans, seeing two of their starting five earn such prestigious recognition proves that the franchise has the tools required to feature a championship-caliber roster.

Holiday and White have been ever-present for Boston this season. Between them, they bring a wealth of versatility and veteran leadership. Most importantly, they both play the game the right way, and that's with a team-first mentality.

With the Pacers playing an electric brand of offense, the Celtics will need both White and Holiday at their best throughout their conference finals matchup. Tyrese Haliburton is an exceptional talent and will undoubtedly look to test Boston's All-Defensive pairing.

White and Holiday will have a big role to play in Boston making it to the NBA Finals. Perhaps their recent recognition by the NBA will help generate some momentum and propel the Celtics forward.

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