The Boston Celtics have gone to great lengths to put together one of the most competitive teams we’ve seen in years.
However, despite their plethora of talent and having two of the best young players in the game, they haven’t been able to get over the hump just yet
This is why adding championship experience was so crucial during the offseason, and why Brad Stevens didn’t hesitate to go all-in and trade for Jrue Holiday.
Fast forward to today, and the Celtics are up 2-0 on the Dallas Mavericks, and Skip Bayless believes it has plenty to do with their starting point guard.
With that in mind, he took to Twitter to claim that Holiday was actually a better player than Damian Lillard.
Jrue Holiday is a better basketball player than Damian Lillard.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 10, 2024
In terms of playing defense, that’s definitely right, and he was definitely a seamless fit for Joe Mazzulla’s team.
Lillard didn’t live up to the expectations in his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks, and his pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t nearly half as dominant as most people expected
However, fit and context matter and the Celtics are by far a better team.
Holiday is a great player but he’s by no means a better shooter, scorer, or playmaker than Damian Lillard, and while he’s made some big plays down the stretch, Dame is also known for his timely shot-making and thriving in the clutch.
Even so, the early returns make it seem as if the Bucks were better before moving Holiday, and the Celtics are quite thankful for that Lillard trade now.
