BOSTON -- Derrick White has come a long way from wondering where he fits on the Celtics' roster.
The veteran guard was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team on Tuesday, earning 24 first-team votes and 99 total voting points to lead all second-teamers. It's the first All-Defense nod of White's career, but he's more than deserving; in fact, you could make the argument for White over All-Defensive First Team guard Alex Caruso, who averaged 23.5 minutes over 67 games for the Chicago Bulls. (White played in all 82 games for Boston, averaging 28.3 minutes per contest.)
What made White stand out as the Celtics' best defender? While defensive prowess can be hard to quantify, four stats stand out that highlight White's incredible defensive impact this season. (Note: All stats are for a minimum of 60 games played.)
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Blocked shots: 76 (1st among guards)
White blocked 11 more shots than the next-closest guard on this list, Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He averaged nearly one full block per game (0.9) -- third on the Celtics behind big men Al Horford and Robert Williams -- and ranked a respectable 23rd among all NBA players in total blocks.
In fact, White became so adept at swatting shots this season that entered into a competition with the team's resident Block King, Robert Williams.
Contested 2-point shots: 335 (1st among guards)
White once again lapped the field at his position, contesting 90 more 2-point shots than Gilgeous-Alexander.
White essentially was a rim protector in a guard's body this season, altering shots when he wasn't blocking them. Which leads us to the next stat...
Field goal differential: -2.5 percent (T-4th among guards)
Boston Celtics
Opponents shot 2.5 percent worse than their expected outcome this season when guarded by White, who's an excellent perimeter defender in addition to blocking shots at the rim.
Milwaukee's Pat Connaughton and the Memphis duo of Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks were the only guards who topped White in this category.
Defensive rating: 107.2 (T-2nd among guards)
This might be the best metric to quantify White's overall defensive impact, as Caruso was the only NBA guard with a better defensive rating this season than White. While a player's defensive rating is bolstered by a strong team defense -- the Celtics ranked second in the NBA in overall defensive rating this season -- White was essential to Boston's success on that end.
"It's always an adjustment playing in our system, and I think he's done a great job navigating that and learning how to be effective in different areas of our defensive system," head coach Joe Mazzulla said Tuesday of White. "I'm happy for him. It's great to see our guys take ownership of stuff like that."
White hasn't made a significant defensive impact in Boston's second-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers to date, but he's a big reason why the Celtics are here in the first place.