Mark L. Baer/US PresswireJrue Holiday (left) and the 76ers will face Rajon Rondo (right) and the Celtics on ESPN Friday night.Jrue Holiday might be ready to insert his name into the list of elite point guards in the NBA.
Holiday, who will lead the Philadelphia 76ers into their division matchup with the Boston Celtics on Friday (ESPN, 7 ET) is averaging career highs in points per game (18.2), assists per game (9.3) and player efficiency rating (18.
When Deron Williams was torching Western Conference foes with the Utah Jazz, he rarely received the respect he deserved. As a member of the underachieving 2011 and 2012 New Jersey Nets, however, Williams’ inconsistent production earned him a reputation as one of the league’s top-tier players.
The question is, are Williams’ injuries preventing him from re-joining the NBA’s elite point guards this year?
Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York reports D-Will is playing with a sprained joint in his surgically repaired right wrist. This comes after Mazzeo had previously reported Williams was suffering from bone spurs in his left ankle.
In other words, Williams is banged up from top to bottom and it’s showing in his production.
Williams is presently averaging 15.4 points and 8.9 assists per game. Although those numbers are certainly respectable, D-Will is shooting just 38.2 percent from the floor and 26.8 percent from beyond the arc.
If you ask Williams, this is not a product of his injuries (via The New York Times).
“It’s not my wrist, man, it’s my confidence,” Williams said in a reflective moment, after finishing with 10 points and a 3-for-11 shooting performance. “I just got to play better. Injuries or not, I got to play. I can’t keep having 10 points, not being aggressive. I just got to find a rhythm. It’s just tough.”
“I’ve definitely been turning down some shots, to get other guys shots,” Williams said. “But I just haven’t found a rhythm in this offense yet. I haven’t found where I’m going to get my shots from consistently. I’m not a guy that likes to go one-on-one every play. So it’s been difficult.”
Fortunately for the Nets, Williams remains one of the game’s top facilitators. His average of 8.9 dimes per contest ranks him fourth in the NBA, slightly behind Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul and Jrue Holiday.
Even still, the Nets’ guiding light must shine brighter.
“I definitely need to play better for us to make that jump,” Williams said. “We can be a great team. You’ve seen us—we won five straight, and I haven’t shot the ball well. And we’ve had some good wins.”
He added, “I feel like I’m letting my team down. I feel like I’m not doing enough to help us win.”
Williams hit the nail on the head there. The Nets have enough interior and perimeter depth to win games in spite of Williams’ poor shooting.
With a quality pairing of scoring and defensive prowess in Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace, Brooklyn is certainly a threat to upend any opponent. With dominant rebounders such as Kris Humphries and Reggie Evans, their chances for wins certainly increase.
With that being said, Williams is averaging 14.6 points per game with a slash line of .368/.241/.800 during Brooklyn losses. Clearly his poor performances are having an adverse effect.
Fortunately, his teammates are well aware of the fact that they must help D-Will find his rhythm.
“We’re still trying to figure this thing out, man,” [Joe] Johnson said. “How we can get him going, get him in a rhythm. We just have to learn on the fly.”
Jerry Stackhouse, the Nets’ elder statesman, said Williams might have to settle some nights for being “the bait guy,” drawing in defenses while others carry the load.
“It all starts with his greatness, being able to create all that,” Stackhouse said. “Once he accepts that and understands that, we go to another level.”
There is no doubt about the fact that the Nets are made up of caliber veterans able to help Williams find his groove. There is also no doubt that Johnson should be focusing on getting himself going, which presents an even heavier burden for Williams’ ailing body.
Which begs the question Nets fans did not want to ask.
Should the Nets rest D-Will?
Williams is not playing at the level of a Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo or Russell Westbrook. In fact, he isn’t even playing at the level of a Ty Lawson at this point in the young 2012-’13 NBA regular season.
Until he gets healthy, that will not change.
Fortunately for Williams, the Nets play just three games over the next eight days. In response to this period of light action, D-Will had this to say.
“I need this rest as much as anybody,” Williams said before unstrapping his ice bags.
If Williams is to go through this weak schedule and emerge as the same player he has been through 16 games, it will be time to sit him down. Should he turn things around, however, head coach Avery Johnson should simply concern himself with managing Williams’ minutes in the proper manner.
With that being said, Williams’ confidence and injuries are not the only issues.
Elite on the Horizon
Over the next month, Deron Williams will be tasked with defending and running an offense against some of the NBA’s top point guards. That list includes Rajon Rondo, Tony Parker, Russell Westbrook, Jrue Holiday, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings and, should he return from injury, Kyrie Irving.
Throw in the likes of Mo Williams, Kyle Lowry, Raymond Felton and the defensive-frustrater Kirk Hinrich, and you have yourself the potential for further struggles.
If Williams can’t handle the physical burden of elite positional matchups, the Nets may not enjoy their team results. They’re losing games when Williams is at his worst and D-Will has acknowledged such a fact.
Unless D-Will overcomes those injuries in the next eight days, rest may be the only answer for a player whose talent exceeds his present caliber of play.
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The Philadelphia 76ers are closing in on the month of December and they have a chance of making strides in the standings.
After opening the season with presentable 9-6 record, it can be said that they slowly but surely establishing themselves as a playoff team.
Thus far, Philadelphia ranks 7th in the league in points allowed per game (93.4). However, they have struggled to consistently produce offensively, ranking just 26th in the league in points per game (92.2).
Despite their stellar defense, they evidently need to put it together offensively. With guys like Jrue Holiday, averaging over 18 and 9 assists per game, and Evan Turner, averaging over 12 and seven boards, exceeding expectations, it can be said that there is certainly capability.
The month of December is a great time for them to tie things together and consistently produce. Along the way they have favorable matchups, but at the same time there will the inevitable losses.
Let’s take a look at their December schedule in more depth…
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ fourth-year point guard Jrue Holiday has made Philly fans all but forget the fact that Andrew Bynum (their prized offseason haul) has yet to play a single minute in the 2012-13 NBA season.
Would 76ers GM Tony DiLeo like to have Andre Iguodala back? It’s possible, especially as Bynum piles up absences like pounds of meat on a true Philadelphia cheesesteak. But would DiLeo want the dynamic wing back if it meant returning Holiday to his 2011-12 form? Not a chance.
The 22-year-old Holiday has forced his way atop the famed 2009 point guard class (which includes, among others, Ty Lawson, Stephen Curry and Brandon Jennings). He’s elevated his play from one of the league’s most exciting young players to one of the most exciting players period.
He leads the 76ers in scoring with 18.6 points per game (19th in the NBA). He also leads them in assists with 9.2 per game (third in the NBA). He leads all Philly guards with a 45.0 field-goal percentage (second on the team).
The chance to acquire Bynum was surely the driving force behind finally pulling the trigger on an Iguodala trade. But the fact that Iguodala dominated the basketball (and stunted Holiday’s development in the process) made the trade easier to stomach for DiLeo and 76ers fans.
Holiday’s enjoying career highs nearly across the board. But what’s most impressive is that, despite his increased role in the offense, he’s actually producing at a more efficient rate. He’s connecting on a career-best percentage of field goals and three-pointers (41.3). He’s increased his player efficiency rating (18.5) by more than three points over his previous career high (15.4).
He has the handles to break down his defender and an uncanny ability to change speeds. Given that his shooting reputation has grown as quickly as his Most Improved Award candidacy, defenders have been forced to pick their poison when matched up with the former UCLA Bruin. Through Philadelphia’s first 14 games (8-6), defenders have consistently picked wrong when trying to guard him.
While his offensive game has taken off this season, it hasn’t come at the expense of the lock-down defense he’s displayed throughout his career. At 6’3″, 180 pounds (with a 6’7″ wingspan, no less), Holiday has the size and length to bother bigger guards and the speed to stay in front of smaller, quicker ones.
The 76ers need a healthy Bynum to enter the realm of the NBA’s elite. But a healthy Holiday has them knocking on that door.
All statistics used in this article are accurate as of 11/26/2012.
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Rajon Rondo is in even better company than he was before.
On a night when Jrue Holiday torched the Phoenix Suns and Carmelo Anthony continued his string of dominance against the Detroit Pistons, there was Rondo’s historical performance against the Orlando Magic.
Sure, the floor general essentially willed the Boston Celtics to victory, but his performance meant more. Much more.
With just under 10 minutes to go in the third quarter, Rondo dished out his 10th assist of the night, tying John Stockton as only the third player in NBA history to accomplish such a feat at least 37 times.
Stat Line: 15 points, 16 assists, nine rebounds and two steals on 46.7 percent shooting.
It wasn’t long before we came to realize that Rondo’s historic night had the potential to end in tragedy for the Celtics.
Though the point guard was able to tie Stockton’s record and keep his streak alive, his stat line was not enough to push Boston past Orlando in regulation. Paul Pierce missed a jump shot at the end of the fourth quarter, and the game was pushed through to overtime.
While the Magic have played better basketball than most have expected them to thus far, the Celtics could not afford to suffer a loss at their hands. Boston is already struggling to hover above .500 and a loss to a lowly opponent like Orlando would have only added insult to injury. Plus, is that any way this team wanted to follow up a thrilling victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Not at all.
However, Pierce redeemed himself and ensured the Celtics would not emerge anything but victorious by hitting a go-ahead three-pointer in the extra period to give Boston the lead for good.
Despite Pierce’s late-game heroics, though, there’s no way the Celtics win without Rondo’s near triple-double. The game had the makings of an upset, had the makings of one that could rain on the point guard’s assist parade, but he wouldn’t let it.
Many would like to look at Kevin Garnett’s eight points in the final five minutes as the effort that pushed the then trailing Celtics into overtime and subsequently to victory, but that’s shortsighted. Sure, his points were key in forcing the game into overtime, but each of his baskets down the stretch came off assists from Rondo.
That’s where Boston is currently at right now. It cannot win consistently, even against inferior opponents, without their crafty point man. Over the course of his ground-breaking streak, he has proved to be the one constant source of dependability; he has proved to be the one player the Celtics can turn down with the game on the line.
No, Rondo isn’t the best of shooters or the most aggressive of scorers, but he dealt out just four less assists than the entire Magic team. That’s not just the tell-tale sign of a point guard attempting to lead his team, it’s simply incredible.
Which is why Rondo’s importance to the Celtics is not to be discounted. Boston is off to a disappointing 8-6 start, yet few people are inclined to count them out of the title chase.
Why?
Because of Rondo.
His stat lines are capable of single-handedly willing the Celtics to victory every night. Sometimes it will take more than four quarters, but his stylings remain effective nonetheless.
So no, this night wasn’t just about Rondo tying Stockton’s record for consecutive games with 10 or more assists, it was also about him showcasing his talents as a leader, as an end-all for a struggling Boston team.
And now, as Rondo attempts to tie and eventually surpass Magic Johnson’s record of 46 straight games with 10-plus assists, you also cannot help but be optimistic about Boston’s immediate future.
This game didn’t find the Celtics at their best, but there are always going to be night’s like this one. All that matters is Rondo continues to be at his best; all that matters is he is able to remain unflappable and convert a less-than-perfect collective performance into Boston’s second straight victory.
All that matters is that the Celtics have Rondo.
Streak or no streak.
All in this article are accurate as of November 26th, 2012.
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It was recently announced by ESPN that Andrew Bynum is out indefinitely, and it rightfully has caused every Philadelphia 76ers fan to enter a stage of disappointment. But despite the unfortunate situation, Sixers fans need to understand one thing: Bynum is still the Sixers’ best chance to win a championship.
When general manager Tony DiLeo came out and said that they “plan on him being here long-term,” DiLeo‘s intentions just so happened to be in the right place.
After starting the season 8-6, the Sixers have shown signs of improvement and signs of disappointment. Nevertheless, we can assess from the start that the Sixers are what they always have been—a slightly above-average and competitive team.
Sure, you could argue that they have gotten somewhat better, but not substantial enough for them to be considered a legit contender.
Stop there. Note the phrase “legit contender.” This is always the goal in mind of every front office and it is what the fans should be thinking as well.
It is obvious that the Sixers simply are not ready now. As stated, they are still slightly above average. Just take a look at where they are in the season today and how they got there.
Jrue Holiday, who is just 22 years old, has been leading the team thus far, averaging 17.5 points and nearly nine assist per game. He has clearly stepped up his game when the Sixers needed him to.
As great as it is that Holiday has finally broken out into his full potential, the Sixers cannot always rely on him. Unfortunately, he just does not have that No. 1 stature about him, and the Sixers certainly do not want to put themselves in the same situation of giving a player “No. 1″ responsibilities when he is not suited for them, inevitably making the player a victim of circumstance (cough…Andre Iguodala…cough, cough…)
Bynum, because he would be the best center in the Eastern Conference by a landslide, provides the productivity of a No. 1 player.
As a third option, yes third option, Bynum averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game with the Los Angeles Lakers. Just imagine how much more he could do in the East. Honestly, it would not be far-fetched to project him to average 20 points and 12 to 14 rebounds per game.
Also, keep in mind that the plethora of complementary players will finally have one player to complement. Furthermore, it would be an environment where everyone can flourish.
The Sixers would be, in essence, a complete team.
Just think about it: the defense would need to worry about Bynum in the paint while also worrying about the lethal shooters the Sixers have at the perimeter. When they double-team Bynum, someone is always open; and when they don’t, he can just seize the one-on-one opportunity.
With Bynum on the court, the Sixers have the chance to be better version of what the Orlando Magic were with Dwight Howard. No, Bynum is not better than Howard, but the Sixers are an inherently deeper team and have a better supporting cast.
Regardless, they would be a virtual remodel of a team that made it to the NBA Finals. No matter what injury risks come up, no team should shy away from that potential.
As DiLeo put it, “At the time of the trade, we had four doctors look at his MRI; we knew it was a calculated risk. We also knew we were getting the second-best center in the league, a franchise-type player. We took that risk.”
They took the risk because he was (and still is) evidently worth the risk.
Does it suck for the fans? Uh, yeah. They were expecting immediate improvement, anticipating one of the best big men in the league play for their team and finally given the chance to embrace a No. 1 player, soon to be told vaguely that he is out indefinitely. Yes, put simply, it sucks.
But I urge you to be patient. It was known entering the situation that this would be a risky investment. The Sixers have always lacked a player a to build a team around, and now that they have one in their hands, they cannot let him slip away so quickly.
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Shortly after the season began, the Philadelphia 76ers rewarded point guard Jrue Holiday with a four-year, $41 million contract extension.
Anybody who said the Philadelphia 76ers‘ decision to extend Jrue Holiday‘s contract was a bad idea gets one more chance.
You get one more chance to understand that Holiday was worth every penny of the four-year, $41 million deal that he received.
The man is having a ridiculous career year and needs to be recognized. He’s stepped up in nearly every facet of the game, become a leader on the floor and a consistent and reliable player.
Philly spent the cash, but it looks like it made the right decision and then some.
Here’s why Holiday is proving all the naysayers wrong.
Productivity Must be Holiday’s Middle Name
It’s still early in the season, but Holiday is having a big year and doesn’t look to be slowing down.
His 38 minutes a game is part of the reason why he’s playing well. He’s simply getting more time on the floor.
Getting minutes is nice, but it means nothing if he doesn’t produce. Fortunately, he’s producing at a very high level.
He’s averaging 18.4 points and 8.6 assists per game. Not to mention, he’s also fifth on the team in rebounds with 4.1 per game.
Break down his assist numbers and you’ll find that he’s in the top five of all NBA players and that he’s contributing to at least 16 points per game. (Eight times two points for a basket.)
Add that to his 18.4 points and it means that he’s contributing 34 points a game. The number has the potential to be higher, as some of his assists could come on three-point shots.
Holiday’s shooting is also off the charts. He’s shooting nearly 44 percent from three-point range while averaging 3.4 threes per game. That isn’t a small number of shots from out deep.
His one red flag has to be his turnover rate. Averaging 4.7 per contest is not close to good, but he’s adjusting to his new “superstar” guard role. There will be some rough spots.
In the end, it’s really nothing to be concerned about.
His game is reflective of the kind of guy who deserves a $41-million deal, the kind of guy who can be looked at as a franchise player.
Holiday’s Defense is Moving Toward an Elite Level
Most of Holiday’s statistics come from the offensive end of the floor, but what about his defense? How does he contribute on that end of the court?
Let’s just say that he’s been putting on a few clinics this season.
His elite size at 6′ 4″, 205 pounds allows him to contest any guards that get to the basket, and good luck to all point guards trying to get past him. Holiday might be tall, but that doesn’t mean that he struggles with staying between his man and the basket.
On November 18th, Holiday faced Kyrie Irving, one of the NBA‘s quickest point guards. With the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter of the tightly contested game, Holiday found himself on an island as he tried to guard Irving one-on-one without any help from his teammates.
This was the definition of a crucial possession and his defense couldn’t have been better.
Holiday has brought an intensity to the court that is difficult to find, and a lot of it comes from his defense.
If you thought that Philadelphia was buying his offensive growth with the extension, you would have been missing a large chunk of the picture. Holiday is also an outstanding defender. Keeping him on the Sixers provides the team with a lock-down defender for years to come.
Holiday is a Leader
Philly.com’s Bob Cooney wrote about Sixers head coach Doug Collins,being excited about the extension. Collins seemed as though he couldn’t have been happier about keeping Holiday:
I’m thrilled. There is not a better kid in the world than Jrue Holiday, nobody better. His family, the way he carries himself every day, the way he has grown. I’m so comfortable with that ball being in his hands at the end of the game. You can just see his growth.
Jrue wanted to be here. To me, it’s a lot being said when a player says, ‘This is my home and I want to stay.’ Usually, guys who do that are very productive and effective. I think he has All-Star talent. I think he can be in the top five in assists. I think he can be a tremendous defender. I felt all along [that Holiday could be that foundation].
Clearly, Philly’s management wanted to keep Holiday in a Sixers jersey. They see the ins and outs of what he does on a daily basis and felt as if he was a good person to represent the team.
It’s an absolutely beautiful thing that they did, too.
All it takes is one game to recognize how Holiday handles himself. It’s difficult to tell what’s happening in the game if you look at his face. His personality is consistent and steady in a way that helps to keep his game from getting out of hand.
Holiday is rarely out of control and that directly correlates with how he handles himself on the floor.
The Future Looks Very Bright
This is Holiday’s fourth season and he’s only 22 years old. Yes, you read that correctly, he’s only 22 years old.
He has about two more years until he hits the beginning of his prime, but he’s already putting up scary numbers.
Just imagine where he’ll be in five years.
Now, the Sixers’ extension is only for four years, but this gives Philly the opportunity to see how much he’ll progress in the next few years so that it’s sure about his future.
Philadelphia couldn’t have made a better decision in extending his contract. The Sixers are making anybody that doubted them look bad.
Really, really bad.
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PHILADELPHIA – The best way to give his team a shot in the arm, Jrue Holiday figured, was simply to make a shot.
Philadelphia 76ers‘ talented point guard Jrue Holiday entered this season with great expectations. With the addition of Andrew Bynum, it was largely up to Holiday and Evan Turner to make great strides to turn this team into a force to be reckoned with.
In the offseason, I wrote that the Sixers were in fact contenders after the deal that returned Bynum and Jason Richardson. Bynum’s dominance and Richardson’s impact were taken as a given. Though both have been injured—most notably Bynum, who has yet to fully participate with his team—we still have seven samples of work from Holiday and Turner.
Both players deserve their own pieces, so I will defer until later to discuss Turner. Jrue Holiday, though, after his performance Monday night, has me churning inside.
On one hand, Holiday delivered 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting. On the other hand, he continued to pile up his league-high turnover count with eight more turnovers.
No, that’s not a typo. I did just write eight!
Coming into last night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Holiday averaged 5.7 turnovers per contest. I will give him his deserved credit for averaging 9.5 assists after the first six games, which was third in the NBA. However, he should (ironically) be extremely disappointed to lead the likes of James Harden, Kevin Durant, Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving, Kobe Bryant and former Sixer Andre Iguodala in turnovers per night.
Despite the several turnovers Holiday had early in Monday’s loss to the Bucks, I was very pleased with his effort after the end of the third quarter (he had six turnovers at this point). He sat on the bench to start the fourth, and I was eager for coach Doug Collins to get him back into the game.
Philadelphia looked to be slipping, and Jrue hit the floor with Philly trailing by four and 6:26 to play. I was expecting a “turning-of-the-tides” type of exclamation to his performance; the Sixers would get none of that.
Holiday committed two costly turnovers in a span of 83 seconds. Not only were they egregious, but they were during what I like to call “winning time.”
Basketball games are often won and lost in certain stretches of play. In some games, they happen in the first quarter when a team extends a margin to an insurmountable lead and tears the heart out of the opponent early. Some games are won with an overwhelming performance to start the second half.
In this game, it was during a three-minute span starting at the halfway point of the fourth quarter, around when Jrue Holiday entered the game.
I love Jrue Holiday. He is undoubtedly my favorite Sixer and one of my favorite players in the NBA. I’ve loved what I’ve seen from him regarding his commitment to aggressiveness on the offensive end. But as the leader of Philadelphia basketball team, he needs to balance his aggressiveness with control.
Doug Collins has lost even more of what little hair he still has over Jrue’s turnover rate, but I’m positive he’s in his young point guard’s ear as often as possible to curtail these miscues.
It’s still early, and there is plenty of practice time to sort these things out (let alone a change in offensive strategy when a certain someone suits up for Philadelphia), but Holiday has really blemished his otherwise awesome start to the season with sloppiness and carelessness with the basketball.
Perhaps the fact that he shares this issue with other NBA All-Stars means that it’s just a commonality for those who dominate the ball and those adjusting to a new season.
Either way, let’s hope young Jrue doesn’t top this list a month from now, but is connected to these stars in another way come February.
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