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
Celtics player grades: Derrick White
Derrick White had a spectacular regular season as he continued to build on an already impressive Boston Celtics tenure. The guard has refined his game, becoming one of the best shooters in the NBA and one of the best shot-blocking guards ever.
He averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and a steal per game on 46% shooting overall, 40% from three, and 90% from the foul line.
White played in 73 games, showing incredible durability, and was one of the best crunch-time players on both ends. There were arguments about being snubbed from the All-Star game when he was not chosen as an injury replacement. Like Holiday, White was also named to the All-Defensive Second Team.
In the postseason, White elevated his game to a new level, averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks on 45% shooting overall, 40% from three, and 92% from the stripe.
The combo guard's games featured electric posters, transition threes, and chase-down blocks. He nearly broke his face for an NBA Championship and continued to play through the injury (but he did get dental surgery in the following days).
There is no championship without Derrick White, and his 38-point master class in Round 1 vs. the Miami Heat was a perfect example of that.
Final Grade: A
Celtics player grades: Payton Pritchard
This past season, Payton Pritchard had his best regular season campaign to date with the Boston Celtics. The shifty guard dazzled Celtic crowds with his scoring in isolation, by drilling buzzer-beating threes, and holding his own defensively despite the size gap.
He finished the season averaging a career-high 9.6 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds with less than a turnover per game. Pritchard shot 47% from the field, 39% from three, and 82% from the foul line. The fourth-year guard also played in all 82 of the Celtics' games.
Pritchard's playoff run brings his grade down, as his numbers declined across the board. He averaged 6.4 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 rebounds on 42% shooting overall, 38% from three, and 92% from the foul line.
He was shut down against the Miami Heat, averaging 4.4 points on 33% shooting. He was remarkable against the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 11.2 points on 53% shooting. Unfortunately, he scored a combined seven points in Games 4 and 5 against the Pacers, and the Finals were a near-disappearing act outside of garbage time buckets and two crazy half-court buzzer-beaters.
Final Grade: C+