When the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard last summer, they did not anticipate Jrue Holiday ending up on the Boston Celtics. Fewer than nine months later, the Celtics added an 18th championship banner to their all-time NBA ledger. Holiday made the Celtics an entirely different team in ways both tangible and intangible.
A Game-Changing Acquisition
Holiday thrived in a role where he did not have to be a primary scorer or creator. Instead, 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, and while landing Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White are considered among his best moves in recent memory, many argue that acquiring Holiday surpassed even those achievements.
Defensive Maestro
Holiday's defensive prowess was particularly highlighted during the series against the Dallas Mavericks, where he was Boston's most valuable player. Capable of shutting down any opponent, Holiday's Game 2 performance was the standout single-game showing in this series until Jayson Tatum put up a line of 31-11-8-2 in the clincher on Monday. To find another player who scored at least 38 points with zero turnovers through the first two games of a Finals, you would have to go back to Michael Jordan in 1998.
The Mavericks' chances in the series dwindled as Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving found themselves unable to generate consistent offensive leverage. Although Jaylen Brown was impressive, it was Holiday who had Dončić and Irving in virtual shackles whenever he was on the floor. Holiday's consistency throughout the series was remarkable. NBA analyst Jalen Brunson even called Holiday the best defender in the league, noting that his lateral movement, flexibility, strength, and anticipation are otherworldly.
Beyond Defense
Holiday's contributions extend beyond defense. He consistently makes smart plays with the ball or cuts to the right spot, and 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. Dončić and Irving were all too happy to fall asleep as Holiday slipped in behind them.
Holiday's impact on the Celtics has been immeasurable. His defensive mastery demoralizes opponents to the point where they hesitate to even want the ball in their hands. This quality, combined with his ability to make clutch plays on both ends of the floor, made Holiday indispensable during the Celtics' championship run.
A Hall of Fame Career in the Making
Holiday played a crucial role in leading the Bucks to the 2021 championship against the Suns, where he rendered Chris Paul ineffective. Now, Holiday is the only player in the league to win two championships over the last four years. 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 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.
The Value of a Star Player
If you sign Holiday, then a title shot is almost guaranteed to follow. If placed on the Knicks, the Sixers, the Clippers, or the Lakers, and if those teams aren't winning a title, they're right in the mix. In the world of professional sports, sometimes a single player can indeed make all the difference. As one NBA analyst put it, "I'm sure it happened at some point, but I can't recall Holiday getting truly beat one time in this series. Against Dončić and Irving? That is an insane thing to say."
Holiday's impact on the Celtics this season has shown that one trade can indeed alter the fate of a franchise. With an 18th championship banner now hanging in the rafters, Boston can thank Jrue Holiday for helping to elevate them to the pinnacle of the NBA once again.