Mallet finger sidelined Jrue Holiday for four straight games in recent weeks, and a plethora of other injuries have taken their toll on the veteran guard this season, too. As the Boston Celtics continue on their quest to win another championship, Holiday’s impact on both ends of the floor will be crucial, but they’ve started to get creative.
Last year, Holiday’s three-point shooting numbers were immaculate. He was shooting roughly 60% from the corner, giving them a virtually automatic bucket from that spot. This season, that number has dipped (as one would expect with such a high bar to match).
But Holiday is far more than a three-point shooter on the offensive end.
The Celtics were in The Big Apple this past Saturday for a game against the Brooklyn Nets. Kristaps Porzingis returned to action, but Jaylen Brown was ruled doubtful to return at halftime due to a knee issue. (He did not reenter the game.)
Jrue Holiday's offensive versatility vs. the Nets was beautiful
With Derrick White and Al Horford already out, that left Holiday, a just-returned Porzingis, and Jayson Tatum to carry the load offensively. And the Nets were doing everything they could to force the ball out of Tatum’s hands. Every time it hit his hands, they were sending two or three bodies his way.
So, the Celtics used Holiday as an offensive hub.
“Yeah, 12 assists. He was big-time just being able to- You know, the Jrue-KP pick-and-roll down the stretch for most of the fourth quarter was really impactful for us,” said Joe Mazzulla. “And handling the ball pressure. Again, he can do so many different things.
“He's hitting timely for three scores, timely offensive rebounds, I think he had the tip to Sam at the end, and then his ability to playmake in the pick-and-roll. So, just another guy who can give us a lot of stuff.”
Holiday’s 12 assists were a season-high for the 34-year-old and the most he’s ever dished out in a Celtics uniform. Rather than sitting in the corner waiting for a pass, Holiday expanded his duties outward.
As Mazzulla detailed, he was running the pick-and-roll with Porzingis, handling the ball for much of the fourth quarter. But he also made the most of the space given to him on the floor.
Brooklyn sagged off of him in order to pressure Tatum. Rather than standing stagnant behind the three-point line, Holiday occupied the dunker spot and timed cuts to give Tatum an extra passing option.
Sometimes, this led to a post-up. Others, he found a pass to a cutter on the opposite side of the floor, as the Nets defense had to reshift to cover him. He even snagged a few offensive boards because of his positioning.
“He can just read defenses really well,” Mazzulla said of Holiday’s work out of the dunker and off cuts. “He can anticipate where the help is coming from. He can anticipate what the defensive coverage is, and he just has a knack for making two-on-one reads.”
Add in his defensive versatility, playing in the help role White usually frequents, and Boston’s win in Brooklyn was the perfect picture of how Holiday can be most effective.
For much of the year, Holiday’s relative struggles behind the three-point line have drawn the concerns of some fans. Questions of whether or not he would be as useful in the playoffs began to pop up. The Memphis Grizzlies game earlier in the season only intensified these ideas.
But Holiday is so much more than a three-point shot. His ability and willingness to mix things up on the offensive end add an unpredictability to the Celtics’ offense that will help keep defenses on their toes in the playoffs.
Holiday knows it, Mazzulla knows it, and Celtics fans should know it, too.
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