“I feel like getting here will give me the best chance of winning.”. Sacrificed a week ago by the Bucks to bring in Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday will not have had time to think since here he is in Boston, with another candidate for the title. On paper, the Bucks and the Celtics seem two tones above all the competition in the East, and the former Milwaukee leader will therefore have the opportunity to take revenge in the spring for this departure.
We talk about revenge, but he is not even vengeful in his words, and he is simply happy to join a very big machine.
“I was hoping to get here… Sometimes you shouldn’t have too many illusions, because it can hurt. But once I got traded here, I knew what I was getting into.”he confides during his first press conference. “I am here to really raise the defensive level of the team and become a champion.”
And his presence did not go unnoticed in training. “There was just electricity in the room today” reports co-owner Steve Pagliuca. “Paul Pierce turned to us, and he told us that he had never seen such intense, long-term training in his entire career! »
A contagious state of mind
The Celtics hit the nail on the head by getting Jrue Holiday back, and president Brad Stevens is proud of his move! “We made a thousand mistakes, but then we saw that there was something to be done” says the former Boston coach. “There is a complicity. There is an excitement. There’s joy, there’s competitiveness, and I think it’s contagious.”
For his part, Jrue Holiday is delighted to join a collective already in place, within a franchise which has only been aiming for the title for several years. He knows he can help the Brown-Tatum duo take a step forward.
“I think by looking at them first, you can see their cohesiveness and the bonds that they have, and that’s really cool. You can see that they are hungry and they are focusing on the things that didn’t work last year, to improve them this year. This is what I noticed when looking at them. And then, to play with them, after playing against them for so long, it makes me feel good. »
The Celtics are already thinking about extending it
The transfer is only a few days old, and yet both parties are already considering a long-term union. “We’ve wanted him here for a long time and when the time comes and we’re allowed to talk about things like that (a contract extension), we hope this relationship lasts a long time.”replies Brad Stevens. “Obviously, beyond the years of his contract. But we still have a few months ahead of us before we can explore this idea. »
As for Jrue Holiday, he knows that as a Los Angeles native, he will cause some misfortunes in his family, but he believes that his mentality and his type of game fit perfectly with this franchise.
“The fans are literally crazy and I’m proud to be a part of it,” concludes the former Milwaukee leader. “I know a lot of my family is probably hurting, but I know this is a blue-collar town. They like people who give their all and put their whole heart into it. And that’s exactly the type of person I am: every time I step on the pitch, I give them everything.”
| Jrue Holiday | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2009-10 | PHL | 73 | 24 | 44.2 | 39.0 | 75.6 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 8.0 |
| 2010-11 | PHL | 82 | 35 | 44.6 | 36.5 | 82.3 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 14.0 |
| 2011-12 | PHL | 65 | 34 | 43.2 | 38.0 | 78.3 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 13.5 |
| 2012-13 | PHL | 78 | 38 | 43.1 | 36.8 | 75.2 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 8.0 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 0.4 | 17.7 |
| 2013-14 | NOP | 34 | 34 | 44.7 | 39.0 | 81.0 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 7.9 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 14.3 |
| 2014-15 | NOP | 40 | 33 | 44.6 | 37.8 | 85.5 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 6.9 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 14.8 |
| 2015-16 | NOP | 65 | 28 | 43.9 | 33.6 | 84.3 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 16.8 |
| 2016-17 | NOP | 67 | 33 | 45.4 | 35.6 | 70.8 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 7.3 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 15.4 |
| 2017-18 | NOP | 81 | 36 | 49.4 | 33.7 | 78.6 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 6.0 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 19.0 |
| 2018-19 | NOP | 67 | 36 | 47.2 | 32.5 | 76.8 | 1.1 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 7.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 21.2 |
| 2019-20 | NOP | 61 | 35 | 45.5 | 35.3 | 70.9 | 1.3 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 19.1 |
| 2020-21 | MIL | 59 | 32 | 50.3 | 39.2 | 78.7 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 6.1 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 17.7 |
| 2021-22 | MIL | 67 | 33 | 50.1 | 41.1 | 76.1 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 6.8 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 18.3 |
| 2022-23 | MIL | 67 | 33 | 47.9 | 38.4 | 85.9 | 1.2 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 19.3 |
| Total | 906 | 33 | 46.2 | 36.6 | 78.3 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 16.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
