Hardwood Houdini
Fansided

Fair, overrated, or underrated? Assessing Boston Celtics in Ringer’s top 100 list

By Xaiver Aguiar

The Boston Celtics are coming off an amazing off-season -- and the entire NBA media landscape has sung the Cs praises and The Ringer is no different Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Celtics are coming off an amazing off-season -- and the entire NBA media landscape has sung the Cs praises and The Ringer is no different Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
Boston Celtics (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Boston Celtics (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Overrated Boston Celtics rankings: Jrue Holliday (37th), Al Horford (82)

Jrue Holiday is such an odd case study. Catch him on the right night, and he looks like the second coming of Gary Payton. Other times, the defense remains, but offensively, he seems closer to an older Rajon Rondo.

The talent is still there. Only two years ago, Holiday was the second-best player on a title team. A few weeks later, he traveled to Tokyo, and only Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum were better for that gold medal squad. This guy has championship DNA and has proven to be a winner on the highest stage.

The problem with Jrue is his lengthy shooting draughts. In the last two playoffs, when Milluwakee needed someone besides Giannis to be a factor offensively, Jrue went cold. He can fall into taking 3s early in the shot clock when the offense becomes stagnant, but it hinders his form, and most fail to find the mark. Holiday also fits better as a two-guard, as his playmaking has never been a strong suit, and his ball handling is good at best. I don’t know how many executives would choose Holiday over Desmond Bane (No. 44) and the aforementioned Kristaps Porzingis at this stage of his career.

As for the ageless wonder Al Horford, I slotted him here primarily due to who is behind him. The 37-year-old has found the fountain of youth during his second stint in Boston, and his tremendous on-ball defense and timely three-point shooting have made him a fan favorite with the Celtic faithful.

If you take away the green-tinted glasses and longevity bias, Bruce Brown (No. 94) is someone I value more in a similar role. Even 23-year-old Jaden McDaniels is a top-3 wing defender in basketball in a league that revolves around the perimeter.

Regardless, the fact there are six Boston Celtics to make a list like this is an extraordinary place to be for this franchise. In the quest for Banner 18, the Cs aren’t short on talent, and it’ll be interesting to see where these guys fall as the season unfolds.

Home/Celtics News