After a rocky December and January, the Boston Celtics are back to looking like the defending NBA Champions.
Joe Mazzulla's squad hit the ground running following the All-Star festivities, picking up back-to-back wins over the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks. The post-break victories improved the Celtics' record to 9-1 in their last 10 games, giving them plenty of momentum as they head into the regular season's final stretch.
As great as the Celtics are playing, though, they'd look even more dominant if everyone was doing their part. Veteran guard Jrue Holiday hasn't been playing up to his usual standards recently, resulting in one of his teammates sending the former All-Star a much-needed message.
Celtics News: Jaylen Brown Sends Strong Message to Jrue Holiday
Following Sunday's victory over the Knicks, Jaylen Brown talked to reporters about Holiday's underwhelming play. Always one to do right by his teammates and encourage them to step up, Brown made it clear that the Celtics need the former All-Star guard to be better going forward.
"We need Jrue to be more aggressive," Brown said, according to The Athletic's Jay King. "We need Jrue to be more aggressive. I need Jrue to be more aggressive because when he’s in that mode — that attack mode — I think we’re better than when he’s kind of sitting back."
Sharing the ball with other all-stars is bound to lead to a dip in production, which is what Holiday is experiencing in his second year with the Celtics. The former UCLA Bruin is averaging his lowest point total (11.0) since he was a rookie while only shooting 44.4% from the floor and 34.9% from the three-point line.
Holiday's regression wouldn't be as bad if his rebounding (4.3) and assist (3.6) averages weren't also noticeably down from last year's numbers (5.4 and 4.8, respectively).
But even if Holiday isn't necessarily living up to his paycheck, Brown won't use this opportunity to kick his teammate when he's down. Instead, the reigning NBA Finals MVP is doing anything he can to remind Holiday of the player he once was.
"Jrue is more than capable of doing more... I just try to encourage it because game to game, you kind of forget, you get caught up in your own — like what you’re supposed to do — but like I need (him) to be aggressive. Every day I’m encouraging that as much as I can."Jaylen Brown on Jrue Holiday
Hopefully Holiday is receptive to Brown's words and works hard to get back on track. The 2024-25 campaign marks the first season of the 34-year-old's four-year, $134.4 million contract, meaning it's paramount for him to return to form to make every dollar worth it.
Although Holiday's play has left much to be desired, Boston fans can rest easy knowing that his struggles aren't hurting the team's outlook. The Celtics are currently FanDuel Sportsbook's +170 favorite to win the 2025 NBA Finals.
