The Portland Trail Blazers went 1-3 in preseason play after falling to the Utah Jazz with a final score of 132-129. Jrue Holiday finished the contest with a well-rounded stat line of 24 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals while shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc.
This was an impressive performance by Holiday, but it wasn't surprising. Through his first four preseason games with the new-look Blazers, Holiday has averaged 13.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in 24.5 minutes.
It's a limited sample size, but it's still significant considering the level of criticism the Blazers received for the Anfernee Simons-Jrue Holiday swap in the offseason.
Jrue Holiday's preseason proved why the Blazers traded for him
Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics were willing to part ways with Holiday in order to duck the second apron. However, Blazers' general manager Joe Cronin's reasoning for the shocking trade wasn't quite as clear. The noticeable upgrade comes on the defensive end, as Portland swapped arguably their worst defender on the roster for a six-time All-Defensive member in Holiday. Still, Cronin received criticism because many expected the Blazers to trade an expiring and defensively limited Simons for future assets. Instead, Cronin took the opposite approach by acquiring an expensive 35-year-old Holiday.
To make matters worse, Holiday is coming off a down season, averaging just 11.1 points and 3.9 assists with the Celtics. Because of his age and declining play, many have already written Holiday off and questioned Croinins' trade as he doesn't fit with Portland's rebuilding timeline. However, preseason has already shown that Holiday has more gas left in the tank.
While Simons has always been a talented player, this situation proves why the Blazers were right to swap him for Holiday. Holiday is still more of a playmaker than many give him credit for because of the lessened role he embraced in Boston. It was likely a combination of injuries and a limited role that led to Holiday's relatively underwhelming season. He now has a golden opportunity to bounce back due to the backcourt injuries suffered by Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson.
While he is no longer the elite defensive weapon he once was, Holiday is proving to be an underrated playmaker and floor general for Portland in Scoot's absence. The Blazers have needed a calming veteran presence in the backcourt ever since the departure of Malcolm Brogdon, who recently retired. Holiday may be a costly addition, but at least he's still capable of making an immediate impact for Portland's shallow backcourt.
If this preseason is any indication, Cronin's aggressive trade will pay off. The Blazers bet on Holiday prolonging his career, as he still has three years remaining on his massive deal. They also bet on their youth taking a significant leap to catch up to the timeline of their veterans. While the latter remains to be seen, Holiday is already proving that the criticism surrounding the trade and his supposedly declining play may have been premature.