It’s no secret that Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is unstoppable with the ball in his hands. That’s why Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday is bracing himself for the NBA Finals, which start Thursday.
Holiday had a one-word answer when asked what his plan was to stop Irving.
Reporter: "What can you do to try to nullify, thwart, [or] stop whatever it is on Kyrie [Irving]?"
Jrue Holiday: "Pray" 😂
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/mG5e2e8S5h
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 5, 2024
“Pray,” he said smiling.
While this may seem like a silly joke, all good jokes contain truth. Irving has been a nightmare to defend, as he’s averaged 22.8 points per game on 48.5% shooting, to go with a 42.1% clip from long range across 40.2 minutes.
“No, I think it’s just familiarity,” Holiday continued. “Just I think knowing each other’s game, doing your best to stay in front of him, trying to take away the things that will probably hurt you the most. Probably most of all having help. Him being able to see multiple guys on the court, making it look like it’s crowded, making shots as tough as possible, even though he’s a tough shot-maker, so…”
The problem is that if the Celtics use too much help defense on Irving, he can just pass to Luka Doncic. The Slovenian international has made a mockery of the competition these playoffs, averaging 28.8 points on 43.8% shooting, with 9.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists across 41.5 minutes.
However, Boston sports the deepest team in the league. Holiday’s perimeter defense has balanced well with Kristaps Porzingis’ rim protection. Mix that with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s offensive prowess, and it’s easy to see why the team has sleepwalked its way to the Finals, opposing teams’ injuries notwithstanding.
Will Holiday’s prayers work against Irving and the Mavericks?
If anyone can slow the Mavericks down, it’s Holiday and the Celtics
Holiday, who earned All-Defensive Second Team honors this year, has been manifesting lofty goals since arriving in Boston, via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“Once I got here — or even once I knew I was getting traded here — this was a part of what I wanted, what I envisioned,” Holiday said after signing an extension with the team. “I want to be here … I want to win multiple rings.”
For that dream to become a reality, he’ll have to do more than just pray. As the team’s best perimeter defender, former Milwaukee Buck will probably see plenty of one-on-one action with both Doncic and Irving throughout the series. No one can expect him to lock them down, but it’ll be his responsibility to make sure that duo doesn’t beat Boston on their own.
“Once I got here — or even once I knew I was getting traded here — this was a part of what I wanted, what I envisioned,” Holiday said after signing an extension with the team. “I want to be here … I want to win multiple rings.”
For that dream to become a reality, he’ll have to do more than just pray. As the team’s best perimeter defender, former Milwaukee Buck will probably see plenty of one-on-one action with both Doncic and Irving throughout the series. No one can expect him to lock them down, but it’ll be his responsibility to make sure that duo doesn’t beat Boston on their own.
Of course, Holiday must continue contributing offensively, as well. While he’s not even the third option, the former NBA champion has been efficient, totaling 12.7 points per game on 48.9% shooting across 37.9 minutes these playoffs. There will undoubtedly be multiple games decided by one or two possessions this series, and the Celtics will need every ounce of production they can muster on both sides of the ball to come out on top.
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