The Boston Celtics boasted one of the NBA’s best defenses this season, allowing just 107.2 points per game (second in the league) and posting a 110.1 defensive rating (fourth in the league).
But when the NBA unveiled its 2024-25 All-Defensive Teams on Thursday, the C’s were nowhere to be found.
Below is a look at the First and Second Teams; Derrick White was the only Boston player who received votes with 15 total points (two First-Team votes and 11 Second-Team Votes).
It’s worth noting that Jaylen Brown (63 games played) and Jrue Holiday (62 games) both didn’t meet the 65-game minimum threshold to be eligible for an All-Defense team, which is why neither player received votes.
But should White have received more consideration for at least a Second-Team nod?
White faced an uphill climb to make All-Defense thanks to a rule passed prior to the 2023-24 season that removed position restrictions from voting. Many defensive metrics favor big men while undervaluing guards, which is why this year’s teams are loaded with big men: Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, who led the league with a whopping 229 steals, is the only non-forward or center among the 10 players on this year’s list.
That said, White had made Second-Team All-Defense in each of the previous two seasons — both before and after the eligibility change. His defensive counting stats were relatively comparable year-over-year, as well; White amassed 80 blocks and 72 steals this season after tallying 87 blocks and 74 steals in 2023-24.
His defensive rating actually improved slightly from 109.9 in 2023-24 to 109.5, and he held opponents to two percent below their expected field goal percentage.
White faced stiffer All-Defense competition this year, as Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams and Portland’s Toumani Camara are both excellent young defenders. But you could probably make the case for White on the second team over players like Jaren Jackson Jr or Rudy Gobert, who have strong reputations thanks to their recent Defensive Player of the Year awards but regressed in several defensive stat categories this season. (Jackson’s Grizzlies ranked 24th in the NBA in team defense, for the record.)
White’s omission means the Celtics won’t have any representatives on the All-Defense teams for the first time since 2021, and only the second time in the last eight years.
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