After winning the 2024 NBA championship, the Boston Celtics have started the new season with a renewed hunger. During the summer, the national media consistently questioned the legitimacy of Boston’s success, spreading the narrative that the Celtics had an easy route to the NBA Finals.
However, Boston has tuned out that noise and is out to prove a point. Joe Mazzulla’s team currently sits second in the Eastern Conference with a 22-6 record despite Kristaps Porzingis missing the opening weeks of the season. Mazzulla’s system has undoubtedly played a role in the Celtics hot start, even if it does frustrate some of the casual fanbase.
During a recent interview on ‘Speak’, former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson praised his former rivals. He noted that he loves the way Mazzulla’s team approaches the game and that Jrue Holiday is the missing piece in Brad Stevens’ championship puzzle.
“That team listen, I love the way they play because five guys touch the ball,” Johnson said. “It might be the only team in basketball right now that the ball moves around. (Al) Horford touches it, and they’re screening and moving. And when they got Jrue Holiday, that was it.”
Johnson’s praise will undoubtedly come as a shock to the Celtics. If history tells us anything, it was that Johnson’s Lakers were a serious thorn in Boston’s side. As such, any praise he sends the Celtics way is undoubtedly steeped in undeniable fact.
The Celtics currently rank third in the NBA in offensive rating, averaging 119.6 points per 100 possessions. They’re also third in Net Rating and eighth in defensive rating. As such, Mazzulla’s team is still well-balanced enough to be considered the team to beat once the playoffs get back underway.
Explaining Jrue Holiday’s Importance For The Celtics
During the same interview, Johnson discussed Holiday in detail and explained why his addition to the Celtics was such a masterstroke. He noted that the veteran guard is the type of star player who can improve others around him.
“A star playing with superstars,” Johnson said. “Because he’s almost like James Worthy in the sense of he didn’t really care about the publicity. James just put up the numbers. I’m not saying their game is the same, and their attitude was the same. He just cared about winning… James would rather just go home, and you didn’t have to write about him… Jrue Holiday’s the same way. That’s a guy who ‘I’m gonna show up, do my job, and I’m gonna go home.”
Holiday has played 21 games for the Celtics this season, averaging 12.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He’s shooting 44.1% from the field, 32.4% from three-point range and 88.9% from the free-throw line.
Celtics’ Jrue Holiday is Struggling On The Perimeter
Last season, Holiday was the best corner three-point shooter in the NBA, converting 60% of his shots, per Cleaning The Glass. He was a significant threat and a huge part of Boston’s drive-and-kick offense, often stretching the defense across the baseline.
This season, Holiday is converting just 31% of his attempts despite a slight increase in terms of volume. As such, Holiday’s overall offensive impact has taken a slight hit. Sure, the Celtics still use him as an inverted dunker spot threat or as a playmaker in the short-roll. But, it was his ability to punish defenses from the corners that helped uplift the Celtics half-court offense last season.
Fortunately for the Celtics, we’re still in the early stages of the new NBA campaign. Holiday has plenty of time to find his range and begin cooking from the corners before the postseason begins.
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