There was a play throughout Wednesday’s coaching camp follow – Jrue Holiday’s first with the Celtics – that left spectators in a state of bizarre pleasure.
Hours later, Celtics co-owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca sat on a podium contained in the Auerbach Center nonetheless marveling at what that they had witnessed, struggling to explain it. Jaylen Brown, as they advised it, was driving to the ring with a full head of steam when Holiday stepped in and stopped him in his tracks.
Over Brown’s seven years in Boston, it was one thing Pagliuca had by no means seen earlier than.
“One of the most incredible things I’ve seen in practice,” Pagliuca stated.
Another play in Wednesday’s follow left Brad Stevens beaming. A self-proclaimed fan of the shell drill, Stevens lit up when Holiday knocked into assistant coach Phil Pressey and “almost made him quit coaching when he was guarding him,” he joked.
“That made me so happy,” Stevens stated.
For almost half-hour, Stevens, Grousbeck and Pagliuca constantly expressed their awe in what that they had seen at follow and the primary impression Holiday left on them. It was definitely atypical. But Grousbeck specifically couldn’t assist however examine the sensation to the primary follow of the 2007-08 season, when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined the fold and adjusted the tradition instantly.
It was solely becoming that Paul Pierce was within the constructing on Wednesday.
“Paul Pierce turned to us and said he’s never seen an NBA practice in his whole, entire career that they went that hard, that fast, for that long,” Pagliuca stated. “He was really smiling as well.”
There had been loads of smiles throughout the power, particularly from Holiday, although not far faraway from an emotional weekend that he described as a whirlwind. Just a day earlier than he was traded final week for the primary time, the 33-year-old Holiday reiterated in an interview that he wished to be a “Buck for life.” He felt established together with his household in Milwaukee and wished to retire there. But a sudden twist left him dealt to Portland within the blockbuster Damian Lillard commerce. For about 5 days, with coaching camp rapidly approaching, Holiday’s life was caught in limbo.
Holiday’s championship targets, after all, didn’t align with the rebuilding Blazers. He made a brief record of groups he wished to be rerouted to. Boston made the reduce.
“You just look at the resume, right?” Holiday stated. “You have a look at the historical past and the group and all the things I’ve all the time heard about it. You have a look at how aggressive they’ve been within the final 5, six years and even earlier than that. … Ever since I’ve been within the league and earlier than that this has been a championship-caliber group.
“So this was a very easy decision that this would be one of the places I would have loved to come to. We also lost to you guys in seven games not too long ago. So I think being part of this organization and group is something I really wanted to be a part of.”
When the commerce was accomplished Sunday, Holiday’s introduction to the Celtics was put into overdrive. There was no time to waste. The subsequent morning, he beat Stevens to the gymnasium to get located together with his new group. Almost instantly after the information broke, C’s coach Joe Mazzulla was sending Holiday video clips of pick-and-roll defenses and easy methods to run the offense.
Holiday brings a wealth of expertise and worth – particularly defensively – to the Celtics. He stated he desires to make the sport simpler for Brown and Jayson Tatum on each ends. Mazzulla was easy together with his message.
“He’s told me my role is to do everything,” Holiday stated. “Do everything, be all over the floor defensively, be able to control situations offensively. Situations to calm us down and get good shots toward the end of games. But I think when it comes down to it, it’s about winning.”
Holiday is aware of all about that, having received a championship with Milwaukee in 2021 the identical 12 months he was traded. That expertise, clearly, is extraordinarily useful for a Celtics group nonetheless seeking to recover from the hump after knocking on the door for the final handful of years.
“It’s harder than everything you’ve ever done before,” Holiday stated of successful a championship. “You’re going to be tired, exhausted, but it’s about who has the mental toughness, who can play through and make plays, obviously at the end of games in the series, and who’s the most connected. The team that wants it the most will go after it and get it.”
For the Celtics, whereas parting with Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon was troublesome, it was straightforward for them to go after Holiday. Stevens has lengthy coveted him courting again to his days with New Orleans and Philadelphia. While the commerce pushed them over the second apron of the wage cap, Stevens has been given a transparent blessing to make no matter transfer is important within the pursuit of a championship.
Holiday – between his dynamic skillset and mentality – matches that route. While he didn’t know the place he would find yourself late final week, it’s clear that is the proper touchdown spot for him. He grew up in Los Angeles however absolutely understands that Boston loves gamers who put all the things into successful.
“I had hopes of being here and sometimes you don’t want to get your hopes up, just because you can get your heart broken that way,” Holiday stated. “But once I ended up getting traded here, that’s what I was committed to. Again, a team that’s been close to winning championships, that has those banners up there and has one covered because of how rich this organization is and winning is really, really important to me. And that’s the reason why I play, is to win. I thought I had a chance of that in Milwaukee. It happened. Now I have the same chance and winning is the most important thing to me.”
If the primary day was any indication, Holiday seems to be to be precisely what the Celtics want.
“He’s a perfect fit for the Boston Celtics,” Pagliuca stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com