Derrick White named to NBA All-Defensive Second Team
BOSTON -- Derick White was a defensive force for the Celtics throughout the regular season, swatting shots away like no other guard in the league. It earned him a pretty big honor on Tuesday, as White was named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team.
It's the first All-Defensive nod for White, who was the top vote-getter on the second team. It also earned him a little more green for his wallet, with a $250,000 bonus now heading White's way.
White certainly earned his place among the best defenders in the NBA, helping lead a Boston unit that finished second in the NBA with a 110.6 defensive rating. He was solid at defending the perimeter and was excellent at rejecting shots, leading all guards with 76 blocks. He was also always out there for the Celtics, playing in all 82 regular season games.
White was asked about potentially making an All-Defensive team after Boston's shootaround ahead of Tuesday night's Game 5 against Philadelphia.
"That'd be a pretty cool honor," said White. "It's a lot of hard work and effort. I'm not too focused on it, obviously. Probably would mean a lot, especially to my dad."
White was the only member of the Celtics to land on an All-Defensive team this season. Marcus Smart, who earned first-team honors and was the Defensive Player of the Year last season, finished fifth among guards with 35 total points in the voting process. Robert Williams, who was on the second-team last season, didn't receive any votes after an injury-plagued season.
Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks, Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls, and Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers made the All-Defensive First Team. White is joined by Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, and OG Anunoby of the Toronto Raptors on the second team.
