Bucks Zone

Adrian Griffin sings high praises for former Buck Jrue Holiday

Coach Griffin is impressed with Milwaukee's former point guard.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
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The Milwaukee Bucks and Jrue Holiday crossed paths for the first time since their shocking break-up in the offseason.

While Holiday didn't have much of an impact when his new team, the Boston Celtics, took down the Bucks, 119-116, on Wednesday night, he drew praises from Milwaukee coach Adrian Griffin.

Holiday anchored the Celtics' solid defensive job in the early goings enabling Boston to jump off to a strong start and dictate the tempo of the game.

Jrue plays bigger than his size

Griffin acknowledged Holiday's role in Milwaukee's faulty start and noted it also didn't help that the Bucks failed to convert even the easy shots.

"Drew is a tough player…I thought we just missed shots that we normally make," said Griffin.

Holiday only scored five points in the contest, but he ended up with more rebounds than his 7-foot-2 teammate Kristaps Porzingis and Milwaukee's 7-foot-1 center Brook Lopez with eight. Lopez and Porzingis finished the game with seven and six rebounds, respectively.

The two-time All-Star also had one assist, one steal, and one block in 35 minutes of playing. While Jrue didn't do a lot statistically, Griffin felt his presence in the game.

Watching Jrue playing solid defense is no longer surprising. After all, he made it thrice to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and twice to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

"He's really a good defender for his size. He plays bigger than his size," said Griffin.

Giving Boston a huge lift

The win over the Bucks pushed the Celtics to the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference standings with a 12-3 record. Holiday, who spent three years playing in Milwaukee, is a key contributor to Boston's early success.

The 15-year veteran is averaging 12.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and a team-best 4.9 assists per game in what is by far a solid all-around showing by the former Milwaukee stalwart. 

Jrue Holiday had this to say about trade from the Milwaukee Bucks: "Warning would've been cool"

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.