The Portland Trail Blazers lost their season opener to the Minnesota Timberwolves, falling 118-114. One silver lining from the close and winnable game was Jrue Holiday's ideal fit in his Blazers debut.
Portland's veteran guard finished with 14 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals while shooting 5-of-15 from the field and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. It wasn't perfect by any means as Holiday struggled with his efficiency. Regardless, the impact he'll have on this roster and the development of their young core was immediately apparent.
Jrue Holiday remains an underrated playmaker
It may not seem like it after Jerami Grant's 29-point performance, but Chauncey Billups' decision to start Shaedon Sharpe over Grant was perfect. Blazers fans were immediately able to see the vision of how Holiday would benefit their youth. He only averaged 3.9 assists last season with the Celtics, but finished with seven in this contest, proving that the Blazers are finding ways to maximize his value.
There's a valid concern regarding Holiday's declining play, particularly on the defensive end, as his athleticism declines and he loses a step. However, Holiday is compensating for that with his basketball IQ and overall playmaking.
With Scoot Henderson's injury and Anfernee Simons now out of the picture, many wondered how Portland would generate enough offense. The Blazers still managed to finish with 114 points, with Holiday as their primary floor general. Having an unselfish ballhandler will do wonders for the development of Portland's young core as he continues to find ways to put them in opportunities to succeed.
Portland is asking Jrue Holiday to do too much
The Blazers are finding ways to utilize Holiday's skillset in ways the Celtics failed to do. They're also asking him to do too much. Both things can be true, which was apparent throughout Holiday's up-and-down Blazers debut.
Part of the reason we love this fit is because of Holiday's calming veteran presence. With his championship experience, he improves the overall level of play, which helps the development of Portland's youth as they learn what it means to play winning basketball. The downside of that is the lack of star power on Portland's roster results in asking a 35-year-old Holiday to take on too much of the offensive burden.
Holiday forced shots in transition and had questionable decision-making down the stretch of a close game, reminding everyone that even veterans are imperfect players. He's coming off a disappointing season in Boston due to injuries and a diminished role, but Portland may soon find out that there's a happy middle ground between what Holiday's role was for the Celtics and what they are asking him to do (out of necessity).
The vision behind Holiday-Simons swap is already clear
Holiday may not be the elite defender he once was, but he's still one of the most versatile guards in the league on that end of the court. Anthony Edwards was seemingly unfazed by the Blazers' elite defense, finishing with 41 points, but there was one particular possession in the second quarter where you could see precisely what Joe Cronin had in mind when he acquired Holiday.
Edwards beat All-Defensive wing Toumani Camara off the dribble only to get picked up by 6-foot-7 forward Jerami Grant. Then, once he passed Grant, he ran into the equivalent of a brick wall in Holiday, resulting in a heavily contested two-point attempt.
The Blazers have doubled down on their defensive identity with this trade, and that one play exemplified why: with no weak links on the court, they are one of the most defensively versatile teams in the entire league. That's been Portland's calling card ever since acquiring Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija, but they finally have that versatility solidified at the guard position as well.