Jrue Holiday’s Boston Celtics tenure came to a close last month, when he was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons. Holiday, who spent two seasons in Boston, was a valuable piece on a contending roster. He fit in seamlessly from day one and did whatever was asked of him.
His numbers took a dip, but it ultimately didn’t matter because the team succeeded. In two years with the Celtics, Holiday took the fewest shots per game (9.6) since his rookie season in 2009-10 (7.1).
The role was perfect for Holiday at the current stage of his career. His offensive responsibilities were limited to mostly catch-and-shoot or catch-and-finish opportunities. The two-time All-Star turned 35 last month and isn’t getting any younger. It would be nonsensical for the Trail Blazers to expect him to play at the All-Star level that he did in his final season as a Milwaukee Buck in the 2022-23 campaign.
Even with low-usage, Jrue Holiday took a step back last season
Portland may not even be getting the 2024 version of Holiday, where he served as a deadly three-point shooter from the corner and an all-league defender. They’ll likely be a watered-down version of the player from last season’s team.
2024-25 was a step down for the veteran guard. He missed 20 games with various injuries and struggled to find offensive consistency. After scoring 12.5 points per game on 48%/42.9% shooting splits in 2023-24, he only put in 11.1 on 44.3%/35.3% splits last year.
Due to the amount of time he missed, Holiday wasn’t eligible for league awards, either. It was his first time being left off both All-Defensive teams since the 2019-20 season, his last with the New Orleans Pelicans.
There’s still plenty of reason to believe that the former UCLA standout can be a strong role player in Portland. It just depends on how much they ask of him. They’ll likely be disappointed if they’re looking for him to be a top-three scoring option, but if they just want to add another defensive-minded player to an already impressive defensive squad, then there’s reason to be excited.
Plus, adding a longtime NBA vet to the league’s youngest team from last season can’t be a bad thing. Even with the addition of a savvy vet like Holiday, it may be difficult for the Trail Blazers to compete in a loaded Western Conference. There could be room for them to make the Play-In Tournament and sneak into the playoffs, but there’s a lot of basketball to be played first.