Player in Focus: Jrue Holiday and his journey so far with the Milwaukee Bucks | NBA Season 2020-21
Jrue Holiday is one of the perennial underrated NBA stars, as he has mostly played for small-market teams. However, the versatile guard recently made news for signing a 4-year, $160 million contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks.
A player capable of impacting proceedings at both ends, Jrue Holiday has averaged a solid 15 points, four rebounds and six assists, along with 1.5 steals per game during his career.
He has plied his trade for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, with whom he has taken up a new-look role.
Role with Milwaukee Bucks
Jrue Holiday has been assigned the role of a secondary scorer with the Milwaukee Bucks. Both Holiday and Khris Middleton provide scoring assistance to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Holiday's tally of 17 points per game on 50-40-82 splits suggest he has been up to his task so far, especially when the Bucks missed Antetokounmpo because of a knee injury.
Like he did at the Pelicans, Holiday has also helped out his team with his playmaking and on-court vision. He has also been tasked with being the team's no. 1 defensive stopper on the perimeter, making his role multi-faceted.
Season so far
Jrue Holiday's campaign has been a successful one so far, as the combo guard has put impressive averages of 17 points, four rebounds and five assists.
He has also tallied 1.7 steals per game, showing alertness at the defensive end. Holiday's impressive performances game after game have made him a fan favorite. A contract extension indicates the Milwaukee Bucks' top brass is also impressed with him.
After playing for an average team for seven years, Jrue Holiday looks a different player for a contending side and could turn out to be a key piece for the contending Milwaukee Bucks.
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Strengths and Weaknesses
Jrue Holiday, a former UCLA product, is a versatile player. His biggest asset is his one-on-one defending, which has suffocated opposition perimeter players, particularly in this campaign.
His other strengths lie in his playmaking and distribution in the half-court, as the 6' 3" guard possesses an incredible knack of finding his teammates both on the perimeter and in the paint with ease.
However, one area where Jrue Holiday still needs to work on is his rebounding. He has never averaged more than five boards in his career.
He tends to get dominated on the glass at both ends quite often, something both him and the Milwaukee Bucks will have to be mindful about going into the postseason.
Expectations from Jrue Holiday going forward
Jrue Holiday has ticked most of the boxes the Milwaukee Bucks have looked for in a guard. He has been much more influential than his predecessor Eric Bledsoe, but his true test would come in the playoffs.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been chasing the elusive Larry O'Brien trophy since Giannis Antetokounmpo's ascent, so Jrue Holiday could help them in that regard. He has always been a steady starter at point guard, and fans and neutrals will expect a strong 2021 playoff campaign from him.
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