When the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard last summer, they likely did not 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, and Holiday was a major factor in that achievement.
Holiday's Transformative Role
Holiday made the Celtics an entirely different team in ways both tangible and intangible. He thrived in a role where he did not have to be a primary scorer or creator, filling in all the right gaps and elevating Boston's defense to a suffocating level.
Brad Stevens' tenure with the Celtics has been marked by some incredible trades. Landing Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White are considered among his best moves in recent memory. However, many argue that acquiring Holiday surpassed even those achievements.
Defensive Mastery
Holiday's defensive prowess was particularly highlighted during the series against the Dallas Mavericks. He was Boston's most valuable player in that series, capable of shutting down any opponent. Until Jayson Tatum put up a line of 31-11-8-2 in the clincher on Monday, Holiday's Game 2 performance was the standout single-game showing in the series. You would have to go back to Michael Jordan in 1998 to find another player who scored at least 38 points with zero turnovers through the first two games of a Finals, as Holiday did against Dallas.
The Mavericks' chances in the series dwindled as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving found themselves unable to generate consistent offensive leverage. Although Jaylen Brown was impressive, it was Holiday who had Doncic and Irving in virtual shackles whenever he was on the floor. Holiday's consistency throughout the series was remarkable.
An Asset to Any Team
If you sign Holiday, then a title shot is almost guaranteed to follow. If he were placed on the Knicks, the Sixers, the Clippers, or the Lakers, and if those teams aren't winning a title, they would be right in the mix. Holiday is the only player in the league to win two championships over the last four years, having played a crucial role in leading the Bucks to the 2021 championship against the Suns, where he rendered Chris Paul ineffective.
Jalen Brunson recently called Holiday the best defender in the league, and with good reason. Holiday's lateral movement, flexibility, strength, and anticipation are extraordinary. He demoralizes opponents to the point where they hesitate to even want the ball in their hands.
More Than Defense
Holiday's contributions extend beyond defense. He consistently makes smart plays with the ball or cuts to the right spot. His ball-hawk instincts also help secure long offensive rebounds. He wrapped up the playoffs with impressive 50-40-95 shooting splits. In the Finals, Holiday averaged just under 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists on 53/42/100 shooting splits. He scored the first six points for the Celtics on Monday, feasting in the dunker's spot all series as Tatum drew the defense's attention. Doncic and Irving were all too happy to fall asleep as Holiday slipped in behind them.
A Season of Rewards
Holiday earned himself a little more cash with the $1.2 million bonus worked into his contract for winning the championship. He checked off every incentive bonus available to him, totaling an extra $2.8 million, in what has truly been a dream season. In less than a year, Holiday went from discovering he had been traded from the Bucks upon waking from a nap to winning the second championship of what is becoming a Hall of Fame career.
Holiday's impact on the Celtics has been immeasurable. In the world of professional sports, sometimes a single player can indeed make all the difference.
In an era where many teams focus heavily on building superteams, the Boston Celtics have shown that sometimes one strategic addition can indeed make all the difference. As one NBA analyst stated, "I'm sure it happened at some point, but I can't recall Holiday getting truly beat one time in this series. Against Doncic and Irving? That is an insane thing to say." Brunson's declaration that "Holiday [is] the best defender in the league" holds more weight now than ever before.
Boston's championship victory stands as a testament to Holiday's invaluable presence on the court. His journey from Milwaukee to Boston has not only highlighted his abilities but also underscored the unpredictable and thrilling nature of professional sports.