NBA Notebook: Jrue Holiday commanding Celtics defense for first time in his career

Jrue Holiday scored his first points over 14 years ago on Oct. 30, 2009, a layup to close the third quarter against Michael Redd, Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut's Bucks. That was a long time ago he lamented, unable to remember it after scoring his 15,000th point on Monday for the Celtics. Holiday doesn't recall those milestones, he didn't know the latest one loomed last Monday, but his longevity in the league allowed him to play alongside and against an array of offensive talents, old and new. Joe Mazzulla deployed him against Joel Embiid as a primary defender -- nothing new. This is Holiday's fourth season facing Embiid in the east. He battled Giannis Antetokounmpo after practice through the first three.

His career began battling Kevin Garnett's Celtics with the Sixers in the second round in 2012. He's played with Demarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Tony Allen, Khris Middleton, J.J. Redick, Julius Randle, Greg Stiemsma, Jason Richardson and Kwame Brown. He's guarded Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook for hundreds of possessions through different phases of their careers. 

"It just happened," Holiday said, remembering his first time guarding a big man. "Maybe I just got switched onto him and I held my own, and from there it was like, yeah, (I) didn't just get posterized, so maybe (I) can do it, but I think from there we started (guarding them), if I ever got caught on a switch or something like that. It wasn't like I was matched up starting off on the five man." 

Holiday remembered Antetokounmpo as one of the first true bigs he faced off with, for 32 possessions in 2018, 15 the next year and 13 more in 2020 before they became teammates and champions the following season. Antetokounmpo got the best of him, shooting 8-for-12, but Holiday knew even when they united in Milwaukee he couldn't duck the challenge. They spent time after practice playing one-on-one, preparing Holiday for a new era where defenses defend one-through-five more often if they can. He can -- holding Embiid to 3-for-5 shooting and six points across 32 possessions this month in their individual matchups. I felt like I held my own, Holiday said. Joe Mazzulla added another responsibility to his plate too, calling defensive plays. 

Like Marcus Smart before him, Holiday joined the Celtics with more autonomy communicating on defense than any coach prior had granted him. Holiday called it a first, Mazzulla understanding the hundreds of experiences Holiday garnered through his first decade-plus in the league made him as equipped as anyone to decide how Boston should guard certain players, offenses and opposing lineups. That paid immediate dividends when he lined up against his former teammate Randle 37 times between the Celtics' first two wins over the Knicks, limiting him to 5-for-16 shooting and 11 points over 10 minutes. 

"(My job's) to be safety, to tell guys what I see," Holiday told Boston Sports Journal in Philadelphia. "I talk to Joe about it too and tell him what I see, and then go from there if we want to go zone, if we're switching, if we're staying connected to our man, whatever it is. I feel like Joe and the coaching staff have empowered me to see through a different lens where before I didn't have to worry about that. Whatever the coach would say defensively, that's what would happen, but I think by him doing that, that empowers us to really have to be in tune with the game. If we're playing against Duncan Robinson, it's probably not good to switch sometimes. Just trail him. I feel like being able to do that as a player and realize that on the court is just another skill that I get to add to my game."

Both Derrick White and Payton Pritchard share similar responsibilities, but neither player comes to the floor equipped with the size, quickness and experience that made Holiday perhaps the most experienced defender in the NBA entering this season. Guarding Embiid, Holiday said, involved a strong base and quick lateral movement, while trying to avoid hitting and fouling the star who often parades to the free-throw line. Holiday only fouled once between the two Sixers games, and averaged 1.6 fouls per game through his first 12 games with Boston. On Wednesday, he'll command the pick-and-roll against Damian Lillard, whom he swept in a playoff series with New Orleans, and his teammate he hoped to play alongside for the rest of his career in Antetokounmpo. When the Bucks traded Holiday for Lillard in September, they hoped their new star pairing would develop the chemistry their former tandem did. They had to hope, also, the defender best-equipped to defend that new duo didn't land on their top rival in the east. He did. 

Boston's new defensive approach changed the game for Kristaps Porziņģis too, whom opposing scoring centers targeted often early in the schedule to inflict foul trouble and knock him off his positioning underneath the rim. Boston moved him to a roving, help role against Embiid, at one point doubling him alongside Al Horford to force a turnover. That led to him only guarding Embiid directly for two minutes and 13 possessions in the Celtics' first game against the Sixers. He missed the second due to a knee contusion, allowing Horford to take over his long-running job irritating Embiid in the second game.

It's a new role for Porziņģis too, similar to how Boston utilized Robert Williams III, and one that takes physical pressure off the big man and maintains the Celtics' defensive success from their previous teams with Smart and Williams III. Boston ranks third in the league with a 106.5 defensive rating, which fell to 101.9 with Holiday and Porziņģis together on the floor. 

"To guard Embiid, that's one of the best ways I would say. To annoy him with smaller defenders," Porziņģis said. "Jrue's a strong defender, and for a guy like Embiid, he's not that easy to play against for (anybody). But for us big guys, it's not that easy to play against Jrue in the post. Sending the help will make it even harder for (Embiid). I think that's a good way to do. I don't want to give up too much ... (Holiday's versatility is) 10 out of 10. He can guard the best point guard in the league and the best center in the league. This is a perfect defensive player that you want on your team, how smart he is, how experienced he is, how good he is in situations where he already loses the position maybe, but he always gets his hand in from behind. It's so annoying, honestly, as an offensive player. That's why he's so good and that's why our defensive numbers are where they are." 

The Celtics trailed by four last Monday after a pair of Knicks baskets to begin the second quarter. Holiday and Pritchard, without a timeout, decided to break into the press Boston worked on all summer. Mazzulla wanted to find wrinkles for the defense with zone and other untraditional looks, a curveball as he described it, and a struggling second unit needed that lift more than anyone as it struggled to shoot more than any other team in the league and lost non-Tatum minutes by 16 points per 100 possessions entering that game. They went to zone, pressed for a few possessions, forced New York to get into its offense late and midway through the second, Randle posted as the shot clock fell to five. He couldn't pass to a shooter in time, and turned it over. 

Boston wanted to press to half court then break into a switching defense, a Holiday directive as he more often became the leader of the second unit. The Celtics slowed down the Knicks and sped up following stops, hitting four straight shots over the final 1:15 of the second quarter to pull within one point. The Celtics held their opponents to the sixth-most shots per game (8.5) late in the shot clock (4-0 seconds remaining), where they shot 35.3% FG. 

In the third, as Tatum stepped off the floor, Boston went on its decisive run forcing two more shot clock violations, a pair of live ball turnovers and built an eight-point lead in the other direction. Two days later, with Holiday playing the middle of zone looks defensively, the Celtics won the non-Tatum minutes again -- this time with Porziņģis and Brown out of the lineup -- for only the third time all season to that point. On Friday in Toronto, they did so for a fourth thanks to an 87 defensive rating. 

"He’s been in the league a long time, so he’s guarded everybody, he’s played against every coach, every team," Mazzulla said. "So he’s got great instincts on player profiles, small details on certain plays of how he’s guarded them. He’s communicated as we’ve gone into shootarounds and film sessions. The biggest thing is he feels comfortable using his instincts and making plays for us, and with his play, having other guys around him play just as hard." 

"I try to do that with our guys, try to have free-flowing conversations. They’re the ones that have to execute, they’re really smart and they pay a lot of attention as well. So I think it’s fun. If you have a group of guys who are competing as hard as they do, and you have to play over and over and over again, you’ve gotta have a sense of joy, passion and fun toward it and if you can empower them to develop ownership and they’re the ones making decisions, I think it breeds accountability and it breeds them playing at a different type of level." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Boston (10-2): Won an impressive revenge game in Philadelphia with Kristaps Porziņģis and Jaylen Brown out thanks to Al Horford hitting four threes in a spot start and 56 points from Jayson Tatum and Derrick White. Svi Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton held the line off their bench in the first minutes they played all season. Tatum, who unloaded four threes in the fourth quarter on the Knicks on Monday, didn't have to play 40 minutes again as the Celtics increasingly find ways to win minutes where he's off the floor. Neemias Queta (foot) did not play on Wednesday, but Boston activated him for the first time this season. Brown injured his groin in the final seconds of Friday's win over Toronto, Boston's fifth straight, blaming the tournament court. 

Brooklyn (6-6): Ben Simmons (hip) will miss more time after an MRI revealed a nerve impingement in his back. Simmons missed the last five games after aggravating his hip on Nov. 6 against the Bucks. He had sat out the Nets' first loss to the Celtics with hip soreness and it ultimately stemmed from his long-running back ailment. Jacque Vaughn, who admitted the seriousness of Simmons' last back injury took him by surprise, said he took the positive route and joked with Simmons as he received treatment. He'll miss at least another week for a Nets team that's won 3-of-5 by defending and shooting threes. They're 2-1 in the east's In Season Tournament Group C -- pummeling the Magic behind 70 points from Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie. 

"These athletes, they want to play, and they want to contribute," Vaughn said. "No athlete wants to be hurt. And this is not something he has asked for, not something that he wants. We were trying at the time to really get our group whole and healthy and form an identity together, and he's a part of that identity. And Ben has brought an element to our team that is irreplaceable because of the style that he plays with and the things that he helps benefit our team in doing." 

Charlotte (3-8): Miles Bridges returned to the Hornets after serving his 10-game suspension for alleged domestic violence against his girlfriend, which he pled no contest to. He sat out the entire 2022-23 season in free agency before signing his offer sheet from the Hornets, which the NBA considered suspension time served as part of his 30-game penalty from the league. Bridges violated a protective order against his girlfriend this fall, leading to his subsequent arrest, which he'll appear in court over in February. The league will allow him to play in the meantime while Charlotte defended playing him.

Bridges scored 17 points with five rebounds and four assists in a loss. They host the Celtics in the second half of a back-to-back for Boston on Monday.  

"We are comfortable with Miles returning to play based on our current understanding of the facts of the recent allegations and remain in contact with the NBA as that matter proceeds through the court process," the team said in a statement.

Chicago (4-9): Shams Charania reported the Bulls and Zach LaVine will explore a trade after a slow start for the star guard and the team, losing 3-of-4 to the Suns, Bucks and Magic this week. While suitors don't appear ecstatic about blowing the Bulls away to acquire LaVine's four-year, $178-million contract, Marc Stein reported that double-digit number of teams would line up for defensive ace Alex Caruso if Chicago made him available. Caruso is playing on a two-year, $19.4-million deal. The Bulls rank 25th in offense and could also deal DeMar DeRozan, playing on a one-year deal, before the deadline. Stein noted the 76ers and Mavericks would not pursue LaVine, and the NY Post noted that LaVine does not want to play for the Knicks. 

Cleveland (6-6): Beat the Warriors and shut off the Blazers as a balanced scoring attack across their top six reforms and their defensive stature between Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen emerged back to 16th in the league. They couldn't quite score with the Kings despite 21 points from Caris LeVert, who's settling into the team's sixth-man role nicely, but De'Aaron Fox (28) and three other 20-point scorers unloaded on that Cavs' defensive unit. 

Dallas (9-3): Beat the Pelicans and Wizards by scoring 130 points while falling to New Orleans in the second half of their mini series, the In Season Tournament game. Grant Williams, a top-10 three-point shooter in the NBA, added to his hot start with 10 points and seven assists against Washington, one of six double-figure scorers for Dallas. While Luka Dončić averages 27.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 8.0 APG, Williams is scoring 11.2 PPG on 49.2 3PT. Kyrie Irving (22.3 PPG, 46% FG) missed the win over the Wizards with a foot injury, while Tim Hardaway Jr. exited after hurting his leg but was fine.

Denver (9-3): Have now played four close games in a row without Jamal Murray (hamstring), topping the Warriors and Clippers by three while losing to the Rockets by three and Pelicans by five. Nikola Jokić (26 pts, 16 reb, 18 ast) nearly managed the fourth 20-20-20 game in NBA history at New Orleans, and has averaged 32.8 PPG, 16.0 RPG and 11.0 APG in the five games without him. We've never seen a player like him. Only the Celtics surpass their +8.0 net rating, with top-five stats on offense and defense. That fell to +4.2 without Murray, who's expected to miss until at least December. 

Detroit (2-11): Losers of 10 straight with their season already falling apart before it even got off the ground. They allowed 119 and 126 points to the Bulls and Hawks, hardly the most consistent offensive teams, before their own offense sputtered against the Cavs. Monty Williams is here for the long haul, and they'll remain patient with young players like Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart running the show while Monte Morris (quad), Joe Harris (shoulder) and Bojan Bogdanovic (calf) recover from injuries. GM Troy Weaver's seat has to be heating up though. 

Golden State (6-7): The NBA suspended Draymond Green for five games for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during a game-opening skirmish between the Warriors and Wolves on Tuesday. Green faced his 19th career ejection and fifth suspension, with the league noting his history of abrasive behavior factored into the decision to suspend. His absence alongside Steph Curry's, who is dealing with knee soreness, led to losses against Minnesota in that game and on Thursday to the Thunder. An MRI revealed no structural damage to Curry's knee, and he'll be reevaluated ahead of next week. 

"Yes, (Green) definitely took it too far," Kerr said on Thursday. "I didn't have a problem with him getting Rudy off of Klay [Thompson]. ... I thought Rudy was wrong for putting his arms on Klay, regardless of his intentions. So I had no problem with Draymond getting him off of him, but he's gotta let go. He hung on for like six, seven seconds. It was a terrible visual for the league, for Draymond, for everybody, so Draymond was wrong. He knows that. It's a bad look. The five games [are] deserved, and we move forward."

Houston (6-4): Jabari Smith Jr. accepted a bench role late in games as the Rockets’ early season surge continues, another step for the new culture they’re forming under Ime Udoka. James Harden beat the team that spurned him in Houston this summer for his first Clippers win, but the Rockets remained 17th in offense while their fourth-quarter defense falling to 26th to begin the year doesn’t bode well for their success lasting all season. 

Indiana (7-4): Bought out Daniel Theis after he failed to make the rotation this year and struggled with injuries last season. His dynamic World Cup run with Germany signaled him still having something left to contribute, and the Clippers quickly signed Theis following his release. Theis gave up $2.2-million in his buyout, allowing the Pacers to carve out cap space to improve their competitiveness in the buyout market later this season.

Clippers (4-7): Added Theis to replace the injured Mason Plumlee while Russell Westbrook volunteered to go to the bench after an 0-5 start with James Harden, who netted a game-winning three to break their six-game losing streak. The lineup change worked against a tough Rockets team, Harden’s first win with LA, but their uphill battle continues in the west if Harden can’t consistently lead the offense. They had a solid thing going with Westbrook at the point. His amicable move to allow Terrence Mann to start could allow both the starting and second unit to do more of the little things, but there’ll still only be one ball in crunch time. 

Lakers (7-6): Have a better record than the Clippers but not an entirely better situation. LeBron James is playing massive minutes just to stay in games, Anthony Davis started the season scoring inconsistently again and injuries have stacked up between Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent and rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino. They’re in the mix of teams Zach LaVine could land on, but would that be worth the roster consolidation? LA might need to consider a move like that at some point. Right now feels too early to give up on their depth approach. 

Memphis (2-9): Marcus Smart fell on Austin Reaves’ foot and hurt his oft-injured left foot, which he sprained in the 2022 east finals and has reinjured multiple times since. The Grizzlies announced he’ll miss 3-5 weeks, missing his first meeting with his former Celtics team on Sunday at 8 EST. Only Derrick Rose and Desmond Bane remain to lead the offense during Ja Morant’s continued suspension. Memphis received a disabled player exception for Steven Adams’ season-ending surgery. Whatever help that provides, the Grizzlies face long odds at a playoff appearance if this pace continues in a loaded west. A good team had to miss the playoffs with 11 teams entering the season capable of making it. This might be the one.

Miami (8-4): Winning again, finding consistent bench play from Duncan Robinson and arguably the best play of Bam Adebayo’s career. They’ve won eight straight to return to the mix of top-tier contenders in the east, and like the Lakers now must decide if they want to consolidate the roster earlier rather than later. They're another LaVine favorite and given their defensive flexibility and need for offensive firepower, they might make the most sense.

Milwaukee (8-4): Baffling defense and disconnectedness between Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo continued through a loss last Saturday in Orlando. Then, they won three straight in dominant fashion over the Bulls, Raptors and Hornets. They visit TD Garden on Wednesday night for their first meeting with the Celtics. Another adjustment came in their win where Lillard poured in a triple-double after playing the entire first quarter, an idea he brought to new head coach Adrian Griffin. Griffin has expressed his willingness, like Mazzulla, to listen to player ideas and giving them some autonomy over the schematic direction of the team. The shift came against bad competition, but it's a start as they improved to 2-0 in the IST, running up the score against Charlotte in a move Griffin made sure to explain to Hornets coach Steve Clifford after. Point differential is an IST tie-breaker. 

Minnesota (8-3): Rudy Gobert called Draymond Green's behavior clown-like after the scuffle early in the Timberwolves’ win over the Warriors resulted in Green putting Gobert in a chokehold. Gobert, Jaden McDaniels and others received fines for the interaction, which stemmed from Klay Thompson and McDaniels tugging on each other’s jerseys. Green got ejected and suspended for five games, while Minnesota took care of business against the Curry-less Warriors to keep their early season winning ways going. 

New Orleans (6-6): Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson stepped up to score needed wins over the Nuggets and Mavericks with Herb Jones (leg), CJ McCollum (lung) and Trey Murphy III (knee) all still out. It’s worth reserving judgment on this team until they’re closer to full health, but their early inconsistent play with their two best players available doesn’t bode well to a major turnaround. Williamson admitted the need to do more. Jose Alvarado (ankle) could make his season debut on Saturday after the team upgraded him to questionable for the first time this season. 

New York (5-5): They’re a different team with RJ Barrett (illness) available and shooting well. He missed Monday’s loss to the Celtics with a migraine, after which he became very sick according to Tom Thibodeau. He also sat for the ensuing wins over Atlanta and Washington. Barrett emerged as a top-10 shooter after struggling behind the line for the entire start of his career (50% 3PT). Will it last? The Knicks need it to without much floor spacing.

Oklahoma City (8-4): Josh Giddey continues to dazzle as a starter while falling among the worst volume three-pointer shooters (29.2% 3PT) to begin this season. They’ve received that contribution elsewhere, allowing them to keep playing Giddey comfortably. It’s hard to imagine Lu Dort and Chet Holmgren continuing to fire at close to 50% efficiency from long range. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also doesn’t provide many threes, so this team will more than likely have to increase their defensive competency to levels in line with recent seasons to stay above .500. They also shoot the three at a bottom-10 volume in the league. That makes their 51% outburst in two wins over Golden State fall over too small of a sample size to say they’d have an edge in a playoff series. 

Orlando (7-5): Jonathan Isaac moved to center and had his first breakout performance since his latest injury in the spring, with 18 points and nine rebounds in a win over the Bulls that vaulted the Magic alongside the Celtics atop the east’s group C in the In Season Tournament. They play on Black Friday in Orlando at 2 p.m. in what’ll likely decide the winner of the group and home court In the December quarterfinals.

Philadelphia (9-3): Philadelphia police said through multiple reports that they didn’t find video evidence to support Kelly Oubre’s description of the hit-and-run accident that left him with broken ribs and other injuries last week. Oubre will miss significant, with some focus now shifting toward what actually happened to him. Nick Nurse, pressed on the topic on Wednesday, said he believes Oubre and that he had progressed to riding the stationary bike after the injuries hospitalized him. 

A Ring doorbell recording at Oubre’s residence captured Oubre walking a bike into the front door as he tells someone inside he got hit by a car. Nic Batum took another personal leave, expected to rejoin the team this week, while Robert Covington took over at forward in a loss to the short-handed Celtics and a win over the Hawks. They’re on LaVine’s list of preferred destinations with the need to replace Oubre and stack up with contenders like Boston potentially forcing such a move. 

Phoenix (6-6): Kevin Durant scored 38 points with nine rebounds and nine assists, and his late three-pointer proved just enough to down the Jazz as Bradley Beal (back) exited the lineup again. Beal, after a brief return, will miss at least three weeks with an ailment that doesn’t seem like it’s going away. With Devin Booker also missing time this season, Durant faces a similar workload to the one that challenged him late in his Brooklyn tenure to keep the Suns afloat. Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon will try to hold it down in the starting lineup with Josh Okogie shifting to the bench, but this group looks poised to float in the bottom half of the west at best with some serious downside if more injuries strike. 

Portland (3-9): Scoot Henderson (ankle) will remain out for an additional 2-3 weeks for the worst offense in the league that lost two more games against the Cavs and Lakers. He injured the ankle on Nov. 1 and an MRI revealed bruising in addition to the sprain. Robert Williams III (knee) underwent season-ending surgery and is expected to return in time for training camp next fall. 

Sacramento (7-4): De’Aaron Fox returned to beat the Cavaliers alongside three other double-figure scorers, dropping 120 more points over the Lakers with three double-figure scorers, including Fox, before he returned to full form by unloading 43 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on the Spurs to mark five straight wins. This is once again one of the best offenses in the league, and a legitimate threat atop the Western Conference. Will they finally make a move to try to bolster the defense though? It ranks 15th, rendering the Kings a modest +1.1. 

San Antonio (3-9): Victor Wembanyama continued to slow down this week, averaging 18.4 PPG and 10.1 RPG on 39.7% shooting (25.6% 3PT) with 3.7 turnovers per game over seven straight losses culminating in another defensive meltdown against the Kings on Friday. The learning curve is underway. 

Toronto (5-7): Couldn’t close out the Celtics after a successful night attacking the basket and running in transition, highlighting the shot creation issue they face between Dennis Schröder, Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes in those situations. Barnes, like last Saturday in Boston, struggled to hit threes and couldn’t convert a wide open one that could’ve forced overtime in Toronto. They haven’t received much three-point shooting elsewhere, with a spot start for rookie Gradey Dick doing little to get him going. They’ve fought, but their offensive issues could make them fade into the winter. A top-10 defense keeps them in the mix for now.