Boston Celtics

Was Jaylen Brown an All-Defense snub? Derrick White thinks so

"He kind of set the tone for us the whole season."

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Derrick White joins the PGL crew to discuss Jaylen Brownโ€™s game-tying three, the Pacers effort and pushing the defensive tempo

Derrick White and Jrue Holiday represented the Boston Celtics on the NBA All-Defensive Team, and one could make the case a third C's player should have made the cut.

Jaylen Brown made significant strides as a defender during the 2023-24 campaign. The three-time All-Star took pride in guarding the opposing team's star and often excelled in doing so. He helped anchor Boston on that end of the floor while remaining one of the team's most consistent scorers.

Brown received three first-place votes and a second-place vote, but White believes the three-time All-Star should have received more recognition for his efforts.

"First off, JB definitely deserves it," White said on Wednesday. "He was unreal this whole season, taking on that challenge. Whenever there's a big name or big player, he wanted the challenge. He kind of set the tone for us the whole season and I think he definitely was deserving."

White has earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team for the second consecutive year. Holiday has earned six All-Defensive selections in his 15-year NBA career, including three First-Team nods.

Brown is still looking for the first All-Defensive selection of his career. That very well could come next year if he continues to improve on that end of the floor.

Individual accolades should be the least of Brown and the Celtics' concerns at the moment. They have their sights set on the NBA Finals as they look to take a 2-0 series lead over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Game 2 is scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off Thursday at TD Garden. Coverage begins with Celtics Pregame Live on NBC Sports Boston at 7 p.m.

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