When the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard last summer, they likely didn't anticipate Jrue Holiday ending up on the Boston Celtics. Fewer than nine months later, the Celtics have added an 18th championship banner to their all-time NBA ledger, with Holiday emerging as an indispensable piece of their success.
Transforming the Celtics
Holiday has made the Celtics an entirely different team in ways both tangible and intangible. Thriving in a role where he doesn’t have to be the primary scorer or creator, he filled in all the right gaps and elevated Boston's defense to a suffocating level.
Brad Stevens' tenure with the Celtics has been marked by some incredible trades, with the acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White being among his best moves in recent memory. However, many argue that acquiring Holiday has surpassed even those achievements. His defensive prowess was particularly highlighted during the series against the Dallas Mavericks, where he was Boston's most valuable player.
Defensive Dynamo
Holiday's ability to shut down opponents was on full display. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, two of the league’s premier offensive talents, found themselves unable to generate consistent offensive leverage whenever he was on the floor. Jalen Brunson recently called Holiday the best defender in the league, a statement that seems justified given his incredible lateral movement, flexibility, strength, and anticipation. Holiday's defensive skills demoralize opponents to the point where they hesitate to even want the ball in their hands.
"I'm sure it happened at some point, but I can't recall Holiday getting truly beat one time in this series," stated an NBA analyst. "Against Doncic and Irving? That is an insane thing to say."
Playoff Performance
In the Finals, Holiday averaged just under 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists on impressive 53/42/100 shooting splits. He consistently made smart plays with the ball or cut to the right spot on the floor. Holiday's ball-hawk instincts also helped secure long offensive rebounds, adding another dimension to the Celtics’ attack.
In Game 2 of the Finals, Holiday put up a performance that rivaled even the best in NBA history. Until Jayson Tatum put up a line of 31-11-8-2 in the clincher, Holiday's Game 2 showing was the standout single-game performance of the series. Scoring at least 38 points with zero turnovers through the first two games of a Finals is something that hasn’t been achieved since Michael Jordan in 1998.
Earning Every Bonus
Holiday’s efforts haven't gone unnoticed, and he was rewarded quite handsomely for them. He earned a $1.2 million bonus for winning the championship, along with an extra $2.8 million in total incentives, in what has truly been a dream season for him.
His journey from discovering he had been traded from the Bucks upon waking from a nap, to winning his second championship in less than a year, is the stuff of legends. He has played a crucial role in leading the Bucks to the 2021 championship against the Suns, where he rendered Chris Paul ineffective.
Legacy of Excellence
Holiday is the only player in the league to win two championships over the last four years, a testament to his impact on and off the court. His contributions extend beyond defense; he consistently makes smart plays and cuts to the right spot. Boston fans witnessed Holiday’s consistency throughout the series, and his ability to transform teams makes him an asset that every championship contender would love to have.
In the ever-competitive world of professional sports, sometimes a single player can indeed make all the difference. Jrue Holiday’s impact on the Celtics has been immeasurable and will be remembered as a key factor in their latest championship run.
As one looks at teams like the Knicks, the Sixers, the Clippers, or the Lakers, it’s hard not to imagine what impact Holiday could have on them. The fact remains: If you sign him, a title shot is almost guaranteed to follow. Whether through ironclad defense or clutch offensive plays, Holiday has proven himself to be a game-changer in the truest sense of the word.