Paul Pierce believes that Jrue Holiday (nicknamed “The Jruth”) is the missing piece for the Boston Celtics in their hunt for a championship. “The Truth” spoke to the media following a recent Celtics practice session when he was asked about Boston’s latest addition following his trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Brad Stevens has been busy this summer, trading away Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, Robert Williams, and Malcolm Brogdon in return for Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. However, Pierce believes the current Celtics roster is ready to compete at the highest level. Should Boston lift banner 18, it would be their first championship since Pierce helped the team overcome the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.
“I think Jrue is a natural leader, a natural glue guy,” Pierce said. “He’s a champion. He’s respected around the league. He’ll be respected here. And it’s up to the guys around him to welcome him with open arms make him feel comfortable. Not only as a player but as family. I think that’s always important when you bring in new guys to establish that comfortability amongst his teammates. As far as fit, I feel like he was the missing piece.”
Holiday will have a big role to play for the Celtics next season. However, he is unlikely to have a primary role on offense. Boston will lean on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Porzingis as their primary offensive players, with Holiday playing a supporting role. Instead, the veteran guard will likely be a secondary playmaker and point-of-attack defensive menace.
New episode of the Celtics Lab Podcast ☘️🧪🎧
We chatted with @SamLaFranceNBA and @JackSimoneNBA about our favorite potential line ups, how Jrue and KP change the Celtics, and much more
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— Celtics Lab Podcast (@CelticsLab) October 5, 2023
We will get our first glimpse of Holiday’s on-court fit on October 7, when the Celtics will face the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening game of their preseason schedule.
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