Report cards are in for the Boston Celtics. Let's start with the guards: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard. (We'll stick to the rotation guys here.)
The Celtics have one of the best three-guard rotations in the NBA, and these grades are based on their cumulative performances throughout the regular season and playoffs.
Celtics player grades: Jrue Holiday
Jrue Holiday ended up being the missing link for the Celtics.
They needed a real point guard to handle the ball and take pressure off of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The veteran guard came in with an All-Star and All-Defensive-First-Team reputation and ended up sacrificing much of his own glory for the good of the team.
In the regular season, he averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, adding a block and steal per game for good measure. He also added another accolade to his Hall of Fame-worthy resume with an All-Defensive Second Team selection.
The playoffs saw Holiday raise his game as the lights got brighter. In the playoffs, he averaged 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 steals on 50/40/95 efficiency. That's 50% from the floor overall, 40% from three, and 95% from the foul line.
The NBA Finals unleashed another beast, as Holiday maintained his high level of play and helped guide the Celtics to a title in his first season with the team.
Final Grade: A