MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 16: Jrue Holiday #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Gabe Vincent ... [+] #2 of the Miami Heat during Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Fiserv Forum on April 16, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesOn one end of the court, Milwaukee Bucks’ guard Jrue Holiday is tasked with defending one of the NBA’s most physical and savvy wing scorers. On the other, he’s responsible for running the offense, getting everyone in the right spots, and creating shots for himself and others. It’s even more exhausting than it sounds.
In a recent anonymous NBA player poll released by The Athletic, Holiday received a lot of love from his peers as the best defender and the most underrated player. The latter trait likely results from his quiet demeanor on the court. He doesn’t talk junk or show up his opponents after he shuts them down. He just goes about his business play in and play out.
That could also be why he silently put up 16 assists in Game 1 against the Miami Heat and followed that up with 11 more in Game 2, giving him a whopping 27 dimes through the first two games of their first-round playoff series. And what dimes they are! More on his playmaking brilliance in a second.
First, we need to make a painful pitstop down memory lane.
In Holiday’s first two seasons with the Bucks, he’s followed up brilliant regular season efficiency with frustrating playoff droughts. After registering a career-high 57 percent effective field goal percentage in 2020-21 and matching that in 2021-22, he saw that plummet in the postseason to 46.1 and 43.2 percent, respectively.
That’s left a bit of an unfair stain on his Bucks’ playoff resumé. He’s often tasked with defending the opposing team’s best player, as he is in this series, and that daunting task drains his energy. Being the primary wing defender and carrying your team’s offensive load is incredibly difficult. Fortunately, that’s exactly what he’s done through the first two games against the Heat.
We go back to his playmaking brilliance now.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo only playing 11 minutes during the first two games due to his back injury and Khris Middleton’s minutes still limited, Holiday is burdened with an even larger responsibility in the offense.
And he’s responded exactly how Bucks’ fans hoped. Holiday controls the game like never before, creating quality shots for the role players on the Bucks.
Midway through the first quarter of Game 2, Holiday finds Jimmy Butler matched up on him. With Brook Lopez to his right and Bobby Portis to his left, he can decide which direction and screen he’ll use. He begins by probing right toward Lopez before quickly dribbling behind his back and using the Portis screen to his left.
Bam Adebayo promptly switches onto him, so he gently probes left before using a retreat dribble to the three-point line. This brings Adebayo up just a step before Holiday attacks the left lane line, hitting the Heat big man with a nifty spin move back to the middle and throwing a nice touch pass over the top of the defense to the mammoth Lopez.
Holiday’s assist percentage of 45 percent means nearly half of the shots his teammates make when he’s on the court are the direct result of one of his passes. Only one player eclipsed that mark in the regular season—Tyrese Haliburton at 45.8 percent.
His manipulation of the defense has been masterful to watch. With Miami aggressively overloading the strong side of the floor, watch how he uses that knowledge to his advantage and finds an open teammate in the corner for three.
With Holiday dribbling the rock on the right wing and Pat Connaughton preparing to set a ball screen, Bobby Portis’s man, Cody Zeller, is already cheating toward that side with two feet firmly in the paint. When Holiday fires the stunning one-handed fastball to Portis, Zeller’s balance is leaning away from him and he’s unable to recover. The pass gets threaded just past the outstretched arms of another Heat defender and right into the shot pocket for an easy catch-and-shoot trey.
Even when Milwaukee wasn’t making their threes in Game 1, Holiday continued to take advantage of Miami's aggressive help defense. And when they are making the threes, oouuuuu-weeeee! Look out!
He’s much too strong and physical for every Heat guard and wing not named Jimmy Butler. He gets the switch and matchup he likes in the video above, before attacking to his left and getting deep into the paint. This attracts a plethora of help defenders and leaves Joe Ingles in the corner (he’s made 8 of his 13 threes in this series, by the way) for an open gym three.
The Heat put Butler on Holiday far more often in Game 2 than in Game 1. Still, he got the matchups he wanted and controlled the game with strength and pace.
When Antetokounmpo returns, Miami must make another difficult decision, possibly moving Butler onto the Bucks’ All-NBA talent. That should increase the times someone like Gabe Vincent or Caleb Martin defends Holiday.
This is the playmaking point guard Milwaukee needs to unlock their halfcourt offense in the playoffs. An offense, by the way, that has had no issue scoring through the first two games despite only making a quarter of their Game 1 threes. If Holiday continues to be assertive, intelligent and unselfish in his playmaking, Milwaukee’s offense should have no trouble continuing to put points on the board.
Brian Sampson, Contributor
https://www.forbes.com/sites/briansampson/2023/04/20/milwaukee-bucks-jrue-holiday-is-deep-in-playmaking-bag/
By: Brian Sampson, Contributor
Title: Milwaukee Bucks’ Jrue Holiday Is Deep In Playmaking Bag
Sourced From: www.forbes.com/sites/briansampson/2023/04/20/milwaukee-bucks-jrue-holiday-is-deep-in-playmaking-bag/
Published Date: 04-20-2023
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What does waived mean in NBA?
In the NBA, "waived" means a team has officially released a player from their roster. This could be for salary cap reasons, personal reasons, or disciplinary actions. Once a player is waived, they become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any other team in the league. A player who was waived within the last three months of the previous season is not eligible to play for the playoffs.
What is the greatest NBA team?
This hotly contested topic has been discussed for decades. The 1980-1989 "showtime Lakers" were the dominant team in the league, winning five championships under Kareem AbdulJabbar and Magic Johnson. The Lakers also had superstars such as James Worthy, Byron Scott, and Kurt Rambis in their lineup during this period.
From 200-2004, the Los Angeles Lakers, also known as Shaw and Kobe Lakers were a formidable force. Defended by the dynamic duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant - both Hall of Famers - they won three championships in a row from 2000 to 2002.
The 1990s Chicago Bulls were also a dominant force, winning six championships as a team under Phil Jackson, their legendary head coach, and being led by Michael Jordan who is widely considered to be the greatest player ever. The Chico Bulls from 1995-1996 are among the most storied teams in NBA history. They won their first of three consecutive NBA titles and set a new record with 72 wins. The Bulls' 72-10 regular-season record was broken by Golden State Warriors in 2015-16.
The Boston Celtics of 1962 are perhaps the most famous dynasty of NBA history. They won eight consecutive NBA titles and 11 championships under Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach. Legendary players like Sam Jones, Bob Cousy and John Havlicek led the Celtics to a winning culture that has lasted for decades.
The San Antonio Spurs are also a top contender for the best NBA dynasty. From 1999 to 2007, the Spurs won 4 championships, and had one of league's greatest runs. Gregg Popovich and Tony Parker, future Hall of Famer, Manu Ginobili as head coaches, improved the team’s basketball approach. This emphasised a team-first mentality which helped them succeed.
The Golden State Warriors are one of the most successful teams in NBA history, with four championships in the last decade. They are led by superstar players Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and head coach Steve Kerr. The Warriors play an exciting brand of basketball that has thrilled fans worldwide and are also in the conversation for the greatest NBA dynasty of all time.
The task of choosing the greatest NBA dynasty is not an easy one. Each team had its own group of players and coaches who made them successful. But some teams were more notable than others because they were dominant. You could argue that the greatest NBA dynasty was made up of the Bulls, Bulls Bulls, Celtics Spurs, Spurs, and Warriors.
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Many basketball fans disagree on the answer, but many agree that Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors' best free-throw shoter, is the most outstanding. With 402. This remarkable player is the record holder for the most 3-point conversions in one season.
Karl Malone holds the record for making the most free throws in a single career with 9,787 of them succeeding. He also has attempted more free throws than anyone else at 13,188 attempts, resulting in a 74.20% success rate.
Who invented basketball?
While the origins of basketball are not known, many believe that James Naismith invented it in 1891, while he was a teacher at Springfield College, now the International Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), Training School. Naismith created the basic rules and placed a peach ball on an elevated track. He then divided his class of 18 into nine teams and started to teach the basics of his new game called "Basket Ball." The original version featured a soccerball, two peach baskets and a gymnasium. Goaltending was not an option as players could only shoot at baskets from below. The game gradually spread across America, and by the early 1900s, basketball had become an organized sport with professional teams playing in large arenas. It is today one of the most loved sports in the world.
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It is difficult to answer this question because there are so many great players and everyone has their opinion. Some of the most prominent contenders for this title include Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as well as Kareem AbdulJabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and LeBron James. Each of these legends have had an enormous impact on basketball, and they all deserve a place in basketball history. These players also have unique styles of play that are admired by millions around the world. Therefore, it is impossible to definitively answer this question as everyone has their own opinion on who the best player of all time is. It is clear that the six most outstanding players on any list of greatest players must be included.
Most people agree that Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball star of all time. He was born on February 17th 1963 in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Jordan began his professional basketball career with the Chicago Bulls in 1984 and soon became one of his era's most famous and successful players. Six-time NBA champion, six time NBA finals MVP and five-time NBA regular-season MVP. He was also a 10-time NBA scoring leader.
Jordan, a two-time Olympic gold winner, was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan's remarkable ability to score from any position on the court, make plays and lead the team is what will be remembered. His unwavering drive and ambition will be an inspiration to millions around the world.
Jordan's legacy is sure to last forever. He is the undisputed best basketball player of all-time. Jordan is the only player who can match his level of accomplishment. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest sports figures in history. There isn't much more that can be said about Michael Jordan except that he truly is the greatest of all time. His extraordinary career and achievements will always be remembered. He was, remains, and always will remain "The GOAT," Michael Jordan.
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- An estimated 800 million viewers watched the [105]2017–18 season. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The opening game of the 2020 Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat brought in only 7.41 million viewers to ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The 2013–14 season opened with 92 international players on the opening night rosters, representing 39 countries and over 20% of the league. (en.wikipedia.org)
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