“He is the only player in the league that can guard all five positions” – Cassell on what makes Jrue the most underrated player in the NBA

As a two-time NBA champion, a two-time All-Star, and with six All-Defensive selections, Jrue Holiday is one of those players who often fly under the radar. The 34-year-old is approaching the later stages of his career, but he isn’t always mentioned when the top guards and players in the league are being discussed.

A dynamic guard

Holiday is a dynamic player on the court as a combo guard, giving the Boston Celtics and head coach Joe Mazulla countless options with their offensive and defensive sets.

After Boston acquired him before the start of the 2023-24 season, Jrue was deployed as a primary defender as part of coach Mazulla’s new strategy. The former Bruin took on the role in his first 11 games with his new team against some of the league’s top ballhandlers.

In his first game against the New York Knicks, Jrue held his own against his former teammate and six-foot-nine star center Julis Randle, limiting him to 14 points on 5-of-22 shooting.

Against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert only managed 14 points on 6-for-6 shooting in 41 minutes. In his second meeting with Randle, Holiday held the Knicks big man to 7-of-19 shooting. In two meetings with seven-foot Joel Embiid, Jrue contained the big man to 18-of-36 shooting, including six turnovers.

“He’s the only player in our league right now that can guard five positions,” said Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell. “We put Jrue Holiday on Joel Embiid last year; he ain’t gonna stop him, but he took Joel out of his sweet spots… Jrue is amazing. He’s just a great teammate, great person, and he does whatever this team needs.”

While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown received most of the credit for the Celtics’ 18th banner, No. 4 was the difference-maker that helped the Jays finally get over the hump. The Green and White came close on multiple occasions, like the 2022 NBA Finals, but they didn’t have that last leg to go all the way.

That was until the C’s traded Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III in exchange for Holiday before the start of last season. Fast forward eight months later, and the perennial All-Defensive guard averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists as the Celtics claimed the most championships in league history.

“He’s in it for one thing; he’s in it for one reason; he just wanna win basketball games,” said Cassell.

A part of the reason why the star two-way guard has been perhaps the most underrated name in the NBA is because of the players Jrue has played with.

On the Milwaukee Bucks, Holiday teamed up with Giannis Antetokounmpo and won the championship in 2021. In New Orleans, the former UCLA standout played alongside Anthony Davis. Now, in Boston, Jrue is playing with several All-Star caliber players.

As Holiday continues to contribute to significant team success, his reputation as a championship-level player will only grow.