Remember when the happiness of new Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday was a hot topic this summer?
Think back to June, right after the Blazers agreed to trade Anfernee Simons to the Boston Celtics for Holiday. In a report that cited an anonymous source, long-time Celtics reporter Steve Bulpett at Heavy.com created quite the stir when he wrote that the 35-year-old veteran was “pissed” he’d have to go to Portland. Then multiple local media members countered with their own sourced intel saying
the report was inaccurate and Holiday wasn’t pissed.
It was a small, but strange sequence that caused speculation and angst among some fans about Holiday’s viability with the Blazers. That speculation only grew after the franchise didn’t host his introductory press conference immediately, instead holding it in late July.
Now, fast forward to mid-October and the early stages of Holiday’s partnership with his new team. If this is what “pissed” Jrue Holiday looks like, then pissed Jrue Holiday sure seems likable…and helpful…and like a big boost to team morale. To put it another way: He’s showing exactly why the Blazers targeted him this summer.
“I’ve been in the game long enough to know that it’s not always gonna be the brightest or the best or the easiest, whatever you want to say,” Holiday said at his introductory presser, discussing switching from a championship contender to a team fighting just to make the playoffs. “But I think coming to a team and an organization that has the character of this team and organization makes basketball great. That’s why you want to come here and you want to play because you feel like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself. You feel like you’re a part of a bigger team and a bigger purpose.”
Through that introduction and Media Day, plus two weeks of preseason practice, Holiday has shown his commitment to that purpose by embracing a leadership role and being one of the team’s most affable personalities. Just during his two media availability sessions at practice, Holiday’s connection with his new teammates was evident in his interactions and how he praised them at every opportunity.
On the second day of training camp, Blazers second-year center Donovan Clingan had just moved in front of the reporting scrum when Holiday casually strolled up, smoothie in hand, and booted the 21-year-old out of place to do his interview first. It’ll be quick, it’ll be quick, he said with assurance. The two-time NBA champion went on to call Clingan a talented player and a “cool dude off the court,” before moving on to give kudos to guard Shaedon Sharpe.
“That boy can hoop,” he said about Sharpe. “ … He’s been cooking me.”
At practice the following week, Blazers players Jerami Grant and Duop Reath — participating in a nearby drill — announced Holiday to reporters as he walked up to the scrum for another interview. Jrue Holiday… Jrue Holiday, ladies and gentlemen, they took turns saying. Then guard Blake Wesley was the next Blazer to get the seal of approval from the six-time All-Defense honoree:
“He’s been whooping my ass, boy,” Holiday said. “He’s been at me, and it only makes me better, to be honest.”
The humble admission made one reporter lightheartedly wonder what was going on with Holiday’s defense if both Sharpe and Wesley were getting the better of him.
“I’m getting old, I’m getting old,” Holiday joked at first. “Nah. My defense isn’t slipping, Shaedon’s good. He makes tough shots, and he makes them look easy. And then you just have guys who have knacks for things. These guys are really good.”
Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and other players have been just as complimentary of Portland’s new acquisition. They’ve commended Holiday for how hard he competes and his mentorship, saying he offers advice and pulls teammates aside to explain concepts.
“He’s just so far ahead thinking the game based on his experience,” Billups said. ”He makes the game pretty easy for everybody out there. He puts you in the right position, offensively and defensively. Quite frankly, we haven’t had a guy like that.”
“He’s been giving me a lot [of pointers],” Wesley added. “He’s been telling me to pick up full court, be more physical. Because he’s a defender, too, so getting pointers from him is big.”
The positive reviews shouldn’t come as a surprise. Holiday is living up to his billing as a pro’s pro and a three-time winner of the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. He’s the ideal influence to guide Portland’s many young players along their NBA journeys. And that leadership is just one side of the coin.
During Portland’s 124-123 preseason win against the Sacramento Kings on Friday, Holiday showed he’s still damn good on the basketball floor and the optimal fit for Portland’s defense-first identity. In 21 minutes, he registered 12 points on 5-10 shooting, three assists, three rebounds, a steal and no turnovers. None of it was too flashy, but the production featured all the little things that grease the wheels of winning. Holiday hit 3s; took his defender off the dribble for buckets; got into the paint regularly to open up the floor; set up Clingan for an alley oop; finished a putback; tipped another offensive rebound to Sharpe for a layup; and pressured ball-handlers with 94-feet defense.
Whether it’s leadership or production, Holiday’s got it. He appears happy to be providing both in Portland.
“Can I still defend?” Holiday said at Media Day. “Yeah. Can I still score? for sure. But I think at the same time, being able to build something here is something that’s super important to me — building a winning culture and then showing that, yeah, even though I’m 35, I still got a lot left in me.”
