The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off arguably the most important game they've had in their entire rebuild. Portland's 114-104 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers increased their postseason chances as they are now just half a game back from the eighth seed, which would be huge in terms of their odds to survive the Play-In Tournament.
Tiago Splitter deserves credit for having them ready to compete in their first playoff-like setting. It also served as a reminder of why Portland acquired Jrue Holiday. His veteran experience as a two-time NBA champion was exactly what they needed in this type of atmosphere. Holiday finished with 30 points, six rebounds, and two assists while shooting an efficient 10-of-21 from the field, including 7-of-15 from beyond the arc.
This is exactly why Portland traded for Jrue Holiday
Portland swapped Anfernee Simons for Holiday with the Boston Celtics this past offseason, doubling down on their defensive identity. However, it's Holiday's offense that has been a pleasant surprise. There was much talk about Portland acquiring a depreciating asset after Holiday's relatively underwhelming final season in Boston. Now it's apparent that it was due to a combination of injury and a limited role, as he's proving he has plenty of gas left in the tank.
The Blazers have relied on Holiday more than they probably would've liked this season, as they've had to overcome one injury after another. They currently find themselves without two of their top scorers, Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant, both of whom may not return in time to contribute to their playoff push. That's adding another layer of complexity to what was already going to be a difficult task of reaching the postseason out west.
If they do manage to get a final spot, it will be because Portland finally has the firepower to compete with these teams in their tier. The Deni Avdija trade is the primary factor in closing the gap. He had a strong 28-point outing against Los Angeles, looking like his All-Star self again after the back injury. That said, it's going to be Holiday's championship experience that gets this young, inexperienced team over the hump.
At 35, Holiday isn't the perfect fit for Portland's rebuilding timeline. But it's an addition that will quietly help the progression of their youth. They're already gaining much-needed experience in playoff-like settings just by pursuing that postseason spot.
This team will be much more battle-tested heading into next season when the stakes are higher, and it's thanks to the trade for Jrue Holiday.