The Boston Celtics are a franchise that prides themselves on defensive prowess and holding their own on that end of the court. That didn’t change when the team traded away the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year from two-years ago in Marcus Smart after he spent nine-years in Boston.
Late in the offseason, just prior to the start of training camp, the Celtics maneuvered a trade that brought in 15-year veteran Jrue Holiday in exchange for defensive standout Robert Williams and the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year in Malcolm Brogdon after the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard.
Holiday’s been on an All-NBA Defensive Team in five out of the last six-years and continues to hold his own in his 33-year-old season this year for Boston. In fact, he’s in charge of the defensive end of the court for the Celtics and understands the expectations that come with that.
“[My job’s] to be safety, to tell guys what I see. I talk to Joe about it too and tell him what I see, and then go from there if we want to go zone, if we’re switching, if we’re staying connected to our man, whatever it is. I feel like Joe and the coaching staff have empowered me to see through a different lens where before I didn’t have to about that. Whatever the coach would say defensively, that’s what would happen. But I think by him [Mazzulla] doing that, empowers us to really have to be in tune with the game.”
Per Bobby Manning of Boston Sports Journal and CLNS Media
Holiday going to Boston meant he would be joining a defensive minded backcourt with Derrick White who led all guards in the NBA last season in blocks with 76 total blocks at 0.9 per game. White also made NBA All-Defensive Second Team last year. When they’re on the court together, there aren’t many players who are going to break the top of a Holiday-White duo in the half-court.
Throughout Boston’s 12-games this season, we’ve seen Holiday take on somewhat surprising defensive duties, including Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Holiday has also defended Giannis Antetokounmpo on numerous occasions over the years before teaming up with him in Milwaukee.
Holiday is 6-foot-4, 205 lbs. and is a solid defender who can hold his own against anybody in the league. He’s proved to do so over the duration of his career and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla knows it.
Mazzulla comes from a blue collar family and from a father who is a legendary basketball coach in Rhode Island. Mazzulla thrived as a player by being a dog on defense. He also reads and perceives the game differently than most, but I think Holiday views the court in the same ways as Mazzulla and it’s working out phenomenally for the Celtics.
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Photo Credit: Mary Schwalm, AP Photo.
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