LAS VEGAS — When Jrue Holiday was traded to Boston in September, the Celtics knew they were getting a winner. The two-time All-Star, five-time All-Defensive Team player, Olympic Gold medalist, and NBA champion had as storied a resume as they come. And the Celtics, having recently shipped out Marcus Smart in order to acquire Kristaps Porzingis, needed another veteran guard who could take on difficult defensive matchups and provide a scoring boost.
They certainly got what they hoped for. Holiday was elite defensively, named to the All-Defensive Team, and was once again responsible for quarterbacking the Celtics’ defense which ranked near the top of the league all season.