The Boston Celtics were far and away the best team in the NBA throughout the 2023-24 regular season. Despite some hiccups down the stretch, the team still came away with the No. 1 overall seed in the postseason.
With all roads to the NBA Championship going through Boston, the Celtics have a great chance of winning another Larry O’Brien trophy. A big reason for their success this season has been the addition of point guard Jrue Holiday.
The Celtics made some bold moves during the 2023 NBA offseason, shaking up their core. They moved on from Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon. Replacing them, in two separate trades, was Kristaps Porzingis and Holiday.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jrue Holiday & Boston Celtics Updates
Both players thrived with their new team. Porzingis is arguably the best third option in the NBA, successfully playing off of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While Holiday’s role offensively shrunk compared to previous seasons, he had the best shooting season of his career.
Holiday knocked down a career-high 42.9 percent of his 3-point attempts. He was efficient on offense and brought the same tenacity and effort defensively that he has become known for. There are some similarities between what he and Smart bring to the table, but the team’s performance has been taken to another level.
That performance was rewarded by the Celtics in the form of a massive contract extension. Holiday agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension that will keep him under contract through 2028.
It was a deal that Celtics general manager Brad Stevens was very happy about. He recently spoke about the extension and what Holiday brought to the team, as he is a huge part of the winning culture that has been growing.
Holiday has championship experience that could help get the Celtics over the hump. He helped the Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA title in 2021 and will now be looking to help Boston accomplish the game thing.
In his first season with Boston, Holiday averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. While those numbers aren’t as gaudy as in years past, he has been an extremely effective player, helping the Celtics win at an impressive clip.
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