Game Changer Trade
The addition of Holiday would make [the Celtics] better than Milwaukee…
Jrue Holiday may be heading to the Celtics in a move that would shake up the entire league. A day after saying he wanted to be a Milwaukee Buck for life, Holiday was traded for All-Star guard, Damian Lillard of the Portland Blazers. This move makes Milwaukee an instant favorite to win another NBA championship, but the Celtics have other ideas.
The Silver Lining
Sports can be a cruel business, just ask Jrue Holiday. There’s no way he could have known that he pretty much had one foot out the door when he said he wanted to be a Milwaukee Buck for life. It’s NBA trade rumors season so honestly, he should have waited before saying anything at all.
Jrue Holiday: I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to retire as a Buck.
Bucks once they heard Dame was available: pic.twitter.com/E6NnlTrSnQ
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) September 27, 2023
His dream ended yesterday when he was traded to Portland as part of a three-way trade that saw Lillard end up in Milwaukee. It’s the right move for the Bucks who clearly hear every word of what Giannis said in a recent interview about his future.
If you’re feeling sorry for Jrue Holiday, you shouldn’t because there might be a silver lining here. The Boston Celtics have the same mentality as the Bucks which is championship or bust. Now that Lillard is a Buck, the Celtics clearly feel the need to get better. They already took a step in the right direction when they acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Wizards in June. The latest NBA rumors have the Celtics looking to acquire Holiday from the Blazers.
Not a big surprise, but I’ve been told the Celtics are expected to explore the possibility of trading for Jrue Holiday.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) September 28, 2023
Jrue Wins If He Ends Up a Celtic
Of course, he’ll never admit this but if he ends up a Celtic, Jrue Holiday will be in a better position than he was in Milwaukee. First of all, if he stayed a Buck like he wanted, they’d be too reliant on him to win. He was a pivotal part of their championship run in 2021. Holiday, who is a two-time All-Star and a five-time All-Defensive team selection, is one of the best two-way players in the game, right up there with Jimmy Butler. The major difference is that Butler can carry a team on his back while simply Holiday can’t.
If Holiday were even his average self in the first round of the playoffs last year, they would have beat Jimmy Butler and the Heat. Instead, Jimmy snatched his soul (he told him “I own you” in Game 6) on his way to 56 points. That was the moment when the Bucks’ playoff chances went right down the drain.
Jimmy Butler shit talking Jrue Holiday down 6 with two minutes left
pic.twitter.com/M21JkzfxRP https://t.co/yNGiwtz2Ne— Mink Flow (@currypistonn) June 7, 2023
Honestly, if you really pay attention to basketball, you already know Holiday wasn’t on that level anyway. If he gets traded to Boston, he won’t need to be. The Celtics as presently constructed are good enough to win an NBA championship. With Holiday, they become the favorite to win it all. The addition of Holiday would make them better than Milwaukee in the East and better than the defending champions Denver Nuggets in the West.
When the Celtics traded one of their leaders Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies, many people said they lost the heart and soul of their team. I’m sorry, but Smart needed to go for so many different reasons. The main one is he had too much power in that locker room. Brad Stevens explains a little bit of that here (a lot more politely than me).
Brad Stevens addresses trading Marcus Smart and says they need Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to take that role, “We need Jayson and Jaylen to continue to grow in that area, and I think they’re among the best that they can be, and we need them to step up to that.” pic.twitter.com/RppeNRxlwd
— Jones & Mego with Arcand (@JonesandMego) August 29, 2023
Jrue Holiday is literally a much better version of Smart (offensively). With Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown leading the way, all they need Holiday to be is a solid role-player. Holiday is way overqualified for that role, but on this team, I think he would thrive playing that way. Holiday didn’t get to be a Buck for life but he might just get his chance at “revenge” by joining the Celtics and knocking the Bucks out of the playoffs. NBA games are gonna be a lot of fun to watch this coming season!
Comments (0)