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There was some cause for concern for the Boston Celtics when they traded away for Marcus Smart but said concern may have been dispelled once the team traded for Jrue Holiday. Like Smart, Holiday is regarded as one of the NBA’s best defenders as a guard on top of his solid playmaking, thus filling the hole Smart left.
On October 4, Holiday gave his thoughts on Smart, praising his game while also giving him credit for the rare feat he’s achieved in his NBA career.
“I think we have a good relationship. I always have been a fan of his, especially because of the way that he plays. How he gets under people’s skin. What he does for the game of basketball, in my opinion, sometimes goes unnoticed. (I’m) super happy for him for winning Defensive Player of the Year. Especially as a guard, I know what it’s like and how hard it is to guard 1-5 and not getting that much credit for it, but to see him do it has been awesome,” Holiday said while talking to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston on October 4.
Holiday admitted that he would have liked being teammates with Smart but added that he’s excited to make his own mark with the Celtics.
“I would have loved to play with him, but we know how this business goes. I think for me to step in here and make my imprint, and show my game and do what I do is going to be fun for me.”
As far as replacements for Marcus Smart go, the Celtics may not have been able to do any better than Holiday.
Jayson Tatum’s Thoughts On Celtics’ Roster Turnover
The Celtics went through their most roster turnover this season with the moves they made. Jayson Tatum revealed that despite being the Celtics’ best player, he doesn’t play much of a role in the front office decisions while talking with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
“I never want to get involved with things like that. My job is to show up and play. It’s not my job to trade and handpick guys or anything like that,” Tatum told Haynes in an October 5 story.
Tatum admitted that it was hard to see some of his teammates leave, as he also considered them his friends.
“A lot of those guys that we traded, I was really close with. I spent my entire career thus far with Smart almost my whole career with Grant and Rob, and a year with Malcolm. It’s always tough to see guys leave, especially when it’s on short notice.”
With those teammates now gone, Tatum’s longest-tenured teammates are now Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Payton Pritchard.
Why Brad Stevens Had to Pay ‘Real Price’ for Jrue Holiday
The Celtics acquired Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers the day before Media Day on October 2. President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens explained why the Celtics traded Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III for the two-time all-star.
“Gotta pay a good price for things, right? That’s the way it goes. We’re trying to win a championship. We’re trying to be as good as we can be. We certainly did. Two picks and two good players. That is a real price, but that’s how good we think Jrue is,” Stevens said on Celtics 2023 Media Day.
The Celtics traded a lot of their depth for Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, but if those two can raise their ceiling to the point that it gets them over the hump, then the trades will have been more than worth it.
