Regarded as one of the best defensive guards in the league, Jrue Holiday’s importance to his team can not be understated. He’s won two championships in his career, and been a central defensive piece in both of them (Bucks 2021 and Celtics 2024). However, Holiday revealed that the key to his improvement as a player in the Celtics’ run last season came because of his fellow backcourt partner, Derrick White.
In an interview with SLAM Magazine, Holiday and White discussed Boston’s 2024 title run. Holiday said , “Derrick was so assured of himself at the point guard position. It helped being able to follow him and see what I’m supposed to do at the point guard position.
So I think to be able to kind of mirror him from the beginning was great for me.” Throughout Holiday’s career, he’s received point guard responsibilities. He earned his first All-Star appearance with the Sixers as a point guard.
His second All-Star appearance with the Bucks was also as a point guard. Holiday was the lead guard for the 2020-21 Bucks team that won an NBA championship. However, he demonstrated tremendous humility to submit under White’s tutelage to become a better player.
Although the Celtics’ starting point guard is Holiday on paper, White carried primary ball-handler responsibilities. Jrue wasn’t able to stop praising his backcourt mate. He said, “Knowing if I’m ever in that position this is what I’m supposed to do.
I think having someone with that type of ability, who c.