Milwaukee Bucks fans certainly know that Jrue Holiday is All-Star worthy, the rest of the NBA should know that also, Jrue Holiday didn’t receive top 10 votes in the backcourt for the Eastern Conference so Jrue won’t be an All-Star based on votes. However, Jrue could be a coach’s selection to be added to the team, similar to Khris Middleton being selected last season. Holiday could also fill in for an injured player like Donovan Mitchell for example. Let’s examine Jrue Holiday’s case to be a 2023 NBA All-Star.
Where does Jrue Holiday stand compared to his other All-Star season?
Shockingly, Jrue Holiday has only been an NBA All-Star one other time, despite several All-NBA Defensive team appearances and countless players naming him as the NBA’s best backcourt defender.
The only other All-Star appearance Jrue Holiday made was a decade ago, in his age 22 season as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Comparing his age 22 season to his age 32 season using Stathead, this season’s Jrue Holiday is better in nearly every way and close in the few areas he’s not outperforming his younger self. This year Jrue is averaging more points on higher shooting across the board, field goal, 3-point and free throw percentages. Jrue’s other All-Star season varies from this year by less than 1.0 per game in rebounds, assists and steals.
Compared to his previous All-Star appearance, it would seem that Jrue Holiday is due, potentially overdue, for his second appearance.
Jrue Holiday’s All-Star case: Voted players Jrue deserves to be in over
The top five backcourt vote getters in the Eastern Conference are Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, James Harden and Trae Young, no doubt those five are locks for the All-Star game. My first bone to pick is with Demar DeRozan, who is certainly an All-Star caliber player, that said, Jrue Holiday stacks up pretty well to Demar in several metrics.
No surprise that Demar DeRozan averages more points per game, 26.1 to 19.6, as DeRozan shoots on average 2.6 more field goals and 5.1 more free throws per game than Holiday. However, looking at their numbers a bit more closely, Jrue has a case to be in over DeRozan. Demar DeRozan does shoot four percent higher from the field than Jrue Holiday, but doesn’t hold a candle to Jrue behind the 3-point line. Holiday has an 11.7 percent edge behind the arc. The two are within two percent of each other at the free throw line.
The two also average nearly the same amount of rebounds. Now, consider the fact that Jrue Holiday is a better defender and averages 2.6 more assists per game than DeRozan, Jrue has a case there. This is all before you get to the fact that the Bucks are third in the East and the Bulls are currently a play-in team.
Seventh on the Eastern Conference backcourt list is LaMelo Ball, who is currently sidelined and has dealt with several injuries this season. However, whether or not Ball is healthy when the All-Star game rolls around next month isn’t particularly relevant. Like DeRozan, Holiday does average fewer points per game than Ball. Holiday does shoot 4.5 fewer field goals per game, however Holiday is more efficient on field goal and 3-point percentages than Ball. The two average nearly the same amount of rebounds and Holiday trails Ball by just 0.7 in assists per game while averaging 0.3 more steals per game. On the season Holiday represents a better offensive rating and a lower defensive rating, suggesting he has been the better player, his team’s record would also reflect that as Jrue Holiday and the Bucks maintain one of the best records in the Eastern Conference.
The last three vote getters in the Eastern Conference are Tyrese Haliburton, the Wisconsin native, who deserves to be an All-Star, Derrick Rose, who is on the list as a purely nostalgic pick, and Darius Garland, who is having himself a solid season. Out of those three, Jrue Holiday should certainly be in over Rose and probably over Garland as well.
What does Jrue Holiday mean to this year’s Milwaukee Bucks team?
Jrue Holiday has been the Milwaukee Bucks second best player this season, Khris Middleton hasn’t played much and Giannis has missed about a week and a half and Jrue has kept the team afloat. The Milwaukee Bucks are tied for the third best record in the Eastern Conference and the effort by Jrue Holiday over the last week have earned him Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors.
Jrue Holiday is second on the Bucks in points per game, to only Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had the most votes in the Eastern Conference for the All-Star game. Jrue Holiday leads the team in assists at 7.5 per game, his highest since the 2013-14 season.
Jrue Holiday actually leads the Bucks in net rating this season through the first 46 games of the season, per NBA.com/stats. Holiday has been a leader on both ends of the floor this season.
Not only has Holiday upped his assists, but his scoring average is also the highest it’s been as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks and the highest it’s been since the 2018-19 season. In addition to his averages being up, Jrue is also shooting higher than his career averages in every shooting statistical category including a career high free throw percentage. He has had some incredible performances, including a 37-point effort in a recent win over the Toronto Raptors.
For Jrue Holiday to be one of the best players, on one of the best teams, have better stats than some of his Eastern Conference counterparts and now an Eastern Conference Player of the Week award under his belt, Jrue Holiday should be an All-Star. Perhaps he will not be the only Bucks who joins Giannis Antetokounmpo in the game, as Brook Lopez has a case as well.
Stay tuned to see if Jrue Holiday gets into the All-Star game.