Milwaukee Bucks: Could Jrue Holiday win Defensive Player of the Year?
By Dalton Sell
When thinking of the best defenders throughout the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday undoubtedly ranks near the top of that list.
Although he boasts just two All-Defensive selections over the course of his career, there is no questioning how impactful the guard can be on that side of the ball. Wanting to give a better understanding of his craft, Holiday recently sat down with Bleacher Report to break down how he defends some of the biggest stars in today’s NBA.
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During his virtual appearance, Holiday made a bold proclamation about his stance on where he stands in this year’s Defensive Player of the Year running:
"“I’m just going to contest the best that I can. That’s kind of where my mind goes when I try to guard guys who are prolific scorers. To know that you can pressure up on somebody and still do a great job with them is just making me feel really good. You know, I’m out here, I should be the Defensive Player of the Year.”"
Jrue Holiday deserves Defensive Player of the Year consideration in his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks
While players pitching themselves for awards is nothing new, the vast majority of Holiday’s peers league-wide will agree with his sentiment. Having to square off against him, a handful of star players have come out and given the guard his props for the defensive prowess he brings whenever he steps on the floor nightly.
One of the most prominent advocates for Holiday has been fellow two-time All-Defensive honoree Andre Iguodala, currently a member of the Miami Heat. Appearing on a previous episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, the 2015 NBA Finals MVP praised Holiday’s defense, pitching that he should already have two or three Defensive Player of the Year trophies on his resume right now at the minimum.
Iguodala is not alone in that line of thinking, particularly as Holiday is having another fantastic season on the defensive end with the Bucks. While the 30-year-old appears well on his way to earning a rightfully deserved All-Defensive nod for the third time in his career, simultaneously notching his first-ever Defensive Player of the Year would be a massive surprise.
It appears to be a two-player race between Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz and Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers with a few regular season games left to play. While the underrated Holiday will seemingly miss out on the award yet again, his efforts this season have not flown under the radar for the Bucks. Although Holiday is racking up a career-best 1.7 steals per game, it is what does not show up on the stat sheet that has been the most impressive takeaway from the guard.
The versatility he brings to the table with being able to guard virtually any position has made a sizeable difference for Milwaukee, which is something that will be pivotal in the postseason. If the Bucks will make a push for the NBA Finals, it appears they will have to go through an Eastern Conference pathway that is loaded with some of the most talented offensive minds in NBA history.
Next. Milwaukee Bucks: 5 players Jrue Holiday has shut down on defense. dark
Although he might not be rewarded with this year’s Defensive Player of the Year trophy, any consideration aimed in his direction is rightfully earned.