Milwaukee Bucks: Weighing the ripple effects of Jrue Holiday’s extension
By Dalton Sell
The short-term impact of Jrue Holiday’s extension with the Milwaukee Bucks
Fans and the Bucks’ front office alike can finally let out a long-awaited sigh of relief after Holiday inked his signature on his lucrative extension.
Until the Holiday news broke Sunday, Holiday’s future with the franchise was a mystery. The trade was viewed as quite the gamble considering the hefty haul that they gave up. However, considering it helped persuade Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign his supermax extension, and Holiday is now signed on for the long haul, it all panned out. With Holiday’s future beyond this season no longer clouded, he and the Bucks have ridden themselves of any speculation regarding his future, and everyone can now just focus entirely on basketball.
Holiday has been doing just that after recently returning from a 10-game absence due to a positive COVID-19 test by playing his best basketball of the season following the All-Star break. In his last 12 games, the guard has turned it up a notch by averaging 20.8 points on a .541/.443/.897 slash line, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game.
Following the guard’s season-high 33 point, 11 assist outing in the 129-128 win over the Sacramento Kings Saturday night, Milwaukee moves to 32-17 on the season. Currently occupying the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings, the team is finding a rhythm at the right time, and Holiday’s recent play has played a big factor in that success.
Of course, the true test will come in the playoffs, which is why the Bucks ultimately traded for him in the first place. They were willing to sell the farm for the guard through trade last offseason because guard play has been a massive concern for Milwaukee in each of the past two postseasons, and Holiday provided an immediate upgrade.
With 23 games left until the playoffs begin, everyone is anxiously awaiting to see what Milwaukee can achieve with Holiday locked. On impact, it certainly feels fantastic to lift that weight off everyone’s shoulders knowing that the guard is staying put.