When the Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday on the eve of training camp, they knew they were getting a special player.
“There’s a list of guys in the league that you always think you’ll never have a real chance to get that you think are perfect fits,” Brad Stevens said on media day. “Jrue is one of those guys.”
Stevens was grinning ear to ear throughout the nearly 30-minute press conference at the Auerbach Center when Holiday was officially introduced as a member of the Boston Celtics in early October.
A three-time winner of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the first three-time winner of the award, which honors on-and off-court leadership, a five-time All-Defensive team selection, and an NBA Champion – Holiday’s resume speaks to the high-caliber player he is.
The 14-year vet has built a reputation as one of the best defenders in the league, and the Celtics are quickly finding out why.
The numbers don’t lie – Boston’s defense has been elite with Holiday on the floor. According to Cleaning The Glass, the Celtics have posted a 106.9 defensive rating with Holiday on the court. The 6-foot-4 guard has totaled 15 blocks (second-most amongst guards) and 10 steals.
Holiday presents a unique wrinkle to the Celtics' defense with his ability to defend one through five, something Joe Mazzulla has tapped into a few times this season.
It started on opening night when Mazzulla matched the 6-foot-4 Holiday up with 6-foot-8 big man Julius Randle. Holiday shut down the two-time All-NBA selection Randle, holding him to just two points on 1-of-10 shooting as the primary defender. Holiday also registered two blocks against Randle.
Since then, we have seen Holiday matchup with other bigs around the league, namely Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In total, Randle, Embiid, Towns, and Antetokounmpo combined have scored just 29 points on 13-of-32 shooting and have 10 turnovers when defended by Holiday this season.
While Holiday and his versatility have been instrumental in enhancing Boston's defense, his influence goes well beyond his individual play, as he has played a key role in shaping the team's collective success on the defensive end.
“Jrue has been great,” Jaylen Brown said following Tuesday night’s win over the Chicago Bulls.
“Jrue’s versatility, what he’s been known for, I think has helped me all year. I think this is probably one of my better defensive years on the ball and off the ball. I think I’ve definitely picked up off of his energy, anytime Jrue is on the floor making those reads. I’ve definitely learned a lot."
Holiday has played an important role in Boston’s communication on the defensive end, serving as the quarterback of Boston’s defense.
“I give him most of it,” Mazzulla said when discussing the responsibility he has given Holiday vocally on the defensive end earlier this month. “I have different conversations with different players about different things throughout the game.”
‘With him [Holiday], it’s more about where are we at defensively, what can we do to change the flow or the rhythm of the game, and he’s really taken on the empowerment and the responsibility of that. I think when you have a guy of his caliber and his versatility, you gotta use it in different ways, and he’s done a great job of spearheading that.”
Holiday serving as the defensive maestro for the Celtics is all part of a different approach by Mazzulla, stemming from player empowerment.
The 33-year-old sets the tone by bringing the energy and pushing his teammates to be better on the defensive end every night, an area the Celtics entered the 2023-24 campaign with a heightened emphasis.
"Jrue’s versatility has been key,” Brown said. “Just his energy level, his presence on the defensive end, I think has also helped me be a better defender this year.”
As the Celtics look to hang their hats on defense, Holiday has been at the forefront of that effort, and his teammates have reaped the benefits.
Related
