Celtics players are loving the Jrue Holiday defensive experience

Celtics players are loving the Jrue Holiday defensive experience originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

If you want to know how strong Jrue Holiday is, just cue up the tape to midway through the second quarter of Wednesday’s season opener between the Celtics and Knicks.

Boston dispatched its new All-Defense guard as the primary defender against 6-foot-8, 250-pound Julius Randle. On one notable possession, Randle received the ball at the top of the arc with Holiday scrambling to close out. When Randle put the ball on the floor, not only did Holiday recover but he shuffled to eat a Randle shoulder as the All-Star big man attempted to drive to his right.

Most guards would have been launched into the second row at Madison Square Garden. Holiday took the hit, held his ground, and braced for another bump. Randle barely made it past the free-throw line and nearly threw the ball away trying to get rid of it.

The NBA’s tracking data says Holiday defended roughly 40 percent of Randle’s offensive possessions in Wednesday’s game. Randle finished 1-of-10 shooting with 2 points and 2 blocked shots.

Let fellow Celtics newcomer Kristaps Porzingis tell you what it’s like for a big man to go against Holiday in a so-called mismatch.

“I’m very happy he’s on my team,” said Porzingis. “He might be the only guy that — only like one or two [guards] — that wasn’t a mismatch when you get the switch with him. He’s such a strong 1-on-1 defender. I have to admit, I’m very happy that he’s on my team now.

“We’re excited. Obviously, he’s an offensive talent, that’s there. But I think what everybody just loves about that guy is how much of a dog he is on the defensive end. And and that’s going to be very big for us.”

The Knicks shot 17.4 percent (4 for 23) with Holiday as the primary defender Wednesday night. They went 6 for 25 (24 percent) when defended by Porzingis.

Despite shipping out both Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III, the pillars of a defense that helped Boston to the 2022 NBA Finals, it sure felt like Boston had reestablished a bit of a defensive DNA that went missing at times last season (despite the Celtics finishing second in the NBA in defensive rating).

When the Knicks tried to pull away late, it was Holiday who scrambled to defend a Randle drive out of the corner and produced a block to keep the Celtics within striking distance.

Boston had one of those mismatch-craving defenders in Smart, who gleefully took turns on players like Porzingis in the past. Holiday showed he can hold up well regardless of who he’s paired with.

The ability to dispatch Holiday on one of the opponent’s top offensive threats, regardless of position, is an incredible luxury — one that also takes a good amount of stress off Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who can keep a little extra fuel in the offensive tank.

When Holiday arrived, the natural tendency was to wonder how he might be able to help defend Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard, the player he was shipped out in favor of. Holiday has a long history of success against Lillard and won’t be short of motivation in those matchups.

But the Celtics also could have multiple possessions where Holiday takes on the challenge of someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo. Whenever Al Horford is on the bench in those games, Boston has another body that can hold up despite giving up size.

Celtics players are just glad they don’t have to see Holiday across the ring from them any more.

“He’s like the fighter that is always like walking you down,” Brown said while describing Holiday’s defensive talents. “Do you watch boxing? He’s always like putting pressure on you. Just not always trying to swing or throw a punch but just always in your space. That’s kind of Jrue. He’s always in that [boxing ring], you know what I mean?”

Added Tatum: “One of the most respected guys in the league … One of the best two-way guys that the league has seen.”