When the Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday in a massive trade that sent Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, and two first-round picks to the Trail Blazers, many felt it gave Boston the best backcourt pairing in the league.
The pairing of two All-Defensive guards, Holiday and Derrick White, seemed like a recipe for success, and so far, it has paid off for the Celtics.
The duo, dubbed “The Stock Exchange” by White’s father Richard, has played a total of 90 minutes together this season, and the talent has been as advertised.
In those 90 minutes, the duo has posted a 99.5 defensive rating and a 125.8 offensive rating, outscoring opponents by 54 points while shooting 55.6% from the floor. The tandem of 6-foot-4 guards has totaled a whopping 11 blocks.
The impressive play by White and Holiday, especially on the defensive end, has caught the eye of two NBA Hall of Famers and Celtics legends – Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
“In my observation of them, it’s not only the defense. They never stop playing basketball,” Pierce said on a recent episode of Showtime Basketball’s “Ticket & The Truth.”
“When they’re on the court, they play every possession. They go for offensive rebounds, they’re D’ing up, they’re cutting, they’re setting screens, they’re going for steals. They never stop playing the game. Like, your star might go over here and wait on the ball or don’t go for the offensive rebounds. They play every part of the game you can play.”
That’s part of what makes this backcourt duo so dangerous. Not only are they extremely talented, but they make winning plays with their hustle and effort.
Garnett, who knows all about playing scrappy and with nastiness, pointed out that the duo “looks scrappy on TV.”
Pierce, who has spent time at practice with the team and was present for Boston’s win over the Heat in the home opener, agreed with Garnett’s assessment.
“It looks hella scrappy in person,” Pierce said. “It’s like, damn, next thing you know Holiday is coming up with a big rebound, or White comes up with a big offensive rebound, or he [one of them] just hit a big three, or he just locked him up at the end. It looked crazy. I’m like dawg, this might be the best defensive duo.”
The Celtics and head coach Joe Mazzulla have had a heightened emphasis on defense and playing with the right mindset since early in camp, something Pierce believes can take the C’s to the next level.
“They can be scary good because you gotta understand when everybody buys into that side of the ball, that changes everything in the culture,” Pierce said. “It looks like they’re really buying into that side. That’s what really brings your team together, the defense.”
The Celtics defense has been impressive early this season, posting a 105.8 defensive rating, good for fourth best in the league.
While the early results have been encouraging, Pierce believes the team can take things to another level.
“I think they got another button,” Pierce said. “I think they can press that button.”
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