Milwaukee Bucks: Jrue Holiday is the difference maker against Miami Heat

Jrue Holiday unquestionably had a regular season to remember in his first year with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Not only will the guard make his anxiously-awaited return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season, but he will be doing it on a team competing at the forefront of a championship. Although that will be a first for the 30-year-old Holiday, he has embraced the idea of the pressure that comes with performing on a contender from the moment he set foot in town.

Jrue Holiday’s play will be a key factor in the Milwaukee Bucks’ first round series against the Miami Heat

It is no secret that point guard play has been a massive weakness for the Bucks over the past three postseasons. While fans could sit here and rehash those shortcomings all day, that Miami series highlights these issues entirely.

Starting point guard Eric Bledsoe turned into a shell of himself offensively by averaging 11.8 points on 33.3 percent shooting from the floor and 21.4 percent from deep in last year’s matchup. Bledsoe became a liability in trying to score the basketball, which played a massive factor in the team’s demise as they needed more from the supporting cast.

He was not much better defensively as Heat guard Goran Dragic undoubtedly got the best of him. According to NBA.com/stats, Dragic scored 29 points on 11-for-23 (47.8 percent) shooting from the floor and 6-for-14 (42.9 percent) from behind the arc across 28 minutes when being guarded by Bledsoe. Formerly a two-time All-Defensive winner, the guard struggled to stay focused defensively all throughout that series.

Those playoff woes were precisely why the Bucks traded a historic haul consisting of Bledsoe, George Hill, three future first round picks, and the rights to swap picks in two drafts for Holiday. Many called it a massive overpay on Milwaukee’s end, but the guard has proven all season that he can elevate this team on both ends of the floor on a nightly basis, which is exactly what they have lacked.

Offensively, Holiday is coming off the most efficient regular season of his career by averaging 17.7 points while shooting 50.3 percent from the floor and 39.2 percent from deep. Along with 6.1 assists per game, the guard’s highly efficient scoring from everywhere on the court on a nightly basis helped turn Milwaukee’s offense up a notch.

That scoring ability will be pivotal in Milwaukee’s forthcoming matchup with Miami, as Bledsoe’s aforementioned numbers were simply abysmal. When the Bucks need another ball handler to orchestrate the offense, Holiday is someone they can hand the ball to and have faith in his decision-making. The Heat will do everything to take Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the game, and Holiday helps alleviate some pressure in that regard.

As good as he has been on offense, Holiday has arguably been better defensively, as he seems well on his way to earning the third All-Defensive nomination this season. That defensive prowess will be pivotal as the Bucks will likely have Holiday primarily glued to Miami’s Jimmy Butler during this series.

Butler torched the Bucks in last year’s playoffs as they had no answer to him, but they are hoping that their new guard can keep him in check in the rematch. While he will primarily be matched up against Butler, Holiday could genuinely find himself guarding anyone on the floor at any time throughout this series. Having that defensive versatility from one of the best in the business on their side will certainly be a luxury for Milwaukee.

Lackluster guard play was not the only reason the Bucks fell to the Heat in last year’s playoffs, but it was indisputably near the top of the list. Although we are yet to see Holiday in postseason action while wearing a Bucks jersey, he already provides hope in the backcourt. With a difficult first round matchup approaching, all eyes will be on the guard in his return to the playoffs.