(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics got significantly better in the offseason, but it came at a big cost.
Trading Marcus Smart was a tough decision for Brad Stevens.
He was a fan favorite and one of the most beloved and respected members of the locker room.
Damian Lillard being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks created a ripple effect that allowed them to replace Smart with another elite backcourt defender in Jrue Holiday.
Fast forward to today, and the Celtics are four wins away from winning a championship.
With that in mind, the former NBA champion admitted that he actually thought they would hate him there, but he’s now pleased to be a part of the Celtics organization and acknowledges that it’s been a great and fun season (Via NBA on ESPN).
“When I first came [to the Celtics], I thought that they would hate me. … Once [Boston] loves you, there’s nothing like it.”
Jrue Holiday on guarding Kyrie and his journey after being traded to Boston pic.twitter.com/bE5BRYLsIb
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 5, 2024
Jrue Holiday is one of the best defensive players in the game, and he’s also a better and more efficient scorer than Smart.
While not a true pass-first point guard or an elite playmaker by any means, Holiday can also get everybody involved and doesn’t need to be featured or touch the ball on every possession to be efficient.
He might not be able to guard one through five like Smart, but one could argue that he’s slightly better against guards than Smart was.
Whatever the case, he’s been a seamless fit for Joe Mazzulla’s system, and while everybody talked about Lillard, the Celtics knew that they had made the biggest move of the summer.
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