Milwaukee Bucks: Jrue Holiday proved to be the ultimate needle-mover
By Jacob Maier
The Milwaukee Bucks have been crowned as the NBA champions. In a hard-fought NBA Finals series, the Bucks came out on top after defeating the Phoenix Suns in 4-2 fashion.
En route to the win, players stepped up all across the board to help the team secure their first title win in 50 years. Giannis Antetokounmpo was rightfully named the Finals MVP, Khris Middleton kept the Bucks in the series with his impressive shooting, and Pat Connaughton provided some much-needed support off the bench throughout the series.
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However, Jrue Holiday deserves his praise following a solid six-game stretch that helped the Bucks fight back. Despite low shooting numbers, he provided facilitating, playmaking, and defense to help propel the Bucks to a championship.
Jrue Holiday’s facilitating proved to be beneficial for the Milwaukee Bucks as they made a comeback against the Phoenix Suns
Jrue Holiday finished the NBA Finals averaging 17 points, six rebounds, and nine assists per game. Not only that, he finished with the highest plus/minus of any player in the Finals with a combined +160. Despite being below his season average in scoring, he brought value on both ends of the court. The Bucks’ facilitator consistently found the weaknesses of the Phoenix Suns and was able to pick apart their defensive strategies. He specifically found those mismatches in the post.
Whether it was Giannis Antetokounmpo or Brook Lopez, Holiday was timely in his passes to allow for easy baskets before help arrived. Holiday primarily ran the offense and was able to find passing lanes to allow Giannis and the rest of Milwaukee’s frontcourt to take high percentage shots. In Game 5, Holiday finished with 13 assists. Game 5 was also Holiday’s best night on the offensive end, as he posted 27 points on 60% shooting from the field. Even in Holiday’s most productive night offensively, he still created opportunities for the rest of the Milwaukee Bucks to score.
Holiday’s ability to facilitate and locate the weaknesses in the Suns’ lineups was crucial. Locating mismatches, creating passing lanes, and getting the ball to each player in their preferred spot was a key to securing a championship. Even on his poor shooting nights, Holiday spread the floor and was a vocal leader in the Bucks offense. Without his impressive facilitating, Milwaukee would not be in this position.