Former Bucks guard Jrue Holiday is beginning his first season in Portland and is already helping the Trail Blazers win games. Holiday had his best seasons in Milwaukee and elevated the Bucks from just a good team to a perennial championship contender. Now he’s doing the same for the Trail Blazers, lifting an otherwise mediocre roster to a 4-2 record so far.
Jrue Holiday is an incredible ceiling raiser
Holiday has been elite in his role for years and was a valuable contributor to two recent title teams - Milwaukee in 2021 and Boston in 2024. His strong two-way play has paid off for every team that acquires him. Portland didn’t originally benefit from his acquisition when they traded him to the Celtics in 2023, but now, they’re seeing what a positive impact he can bring.
The Bucks have also seen less success since trading Holiday, partially due to worse perimeter defense without him. They’ve finally found a point guard who can approximate Holiday’s playstyle in Ryan Rollins, who is a strong defender on top of being a good scorer and playmaker. He hopes to one day reach Holiday’s peak level, but has a ways to go.
The Bucks’ original decision to trade Holiday to the Blazers for Damian Lillard drew plenty of criticism, but it only got worse when he was rerouted to the rival Celtics. Holiday expectedly took the Celtics to another level and raised their ceiling to become the overwhelming championship favorites.
This season, Holiday has been great for the Blazers and may even contend for an All-Star spot. He’s averaging 18 points, nine assists, and five rebounds per game, along with his trademark defense. Unsurprisingly, he leads the Trail Blazers in plus-minus to start the season.
Even beyond the box score, Holiday makes teams better in subtle ways. He's a very unselfish player who consistently goes the extra mile on both offense and defense, regardless of whether he gets credit for it. He's also a locker room leader who motivates everyone to try harder on defense. This season, Portland is fifth in defensive rating, and his leadership has helped them reach that level.
The Trail Blazers have other defensive talent that is helping them win games, but Holiday's connective play is taking them to another level and making them a threat. Prior to being traded by Milwaukee, his connective play as an elite third option on offense and perimeter lockdown defender took the Bucks to another stratosphere.
The Trail Blazers are enjoying the Jrue Holiday experience so far, and hope he can instill a culture that will one day reach similar heights as he did with the Bucks and Celtics.