Following the transaction that brought Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, accompanied by the $104 million remaining on his contract set to extend through his age-37 season, there were reservations about whether this was simply an over-the-top learning experience for Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.
However, the Blazers management viewed the situation through a different lens. General manager Joe Cronin publicly stated the current season was deemed “winning time,” and the inclusion of Holiday was considered a viable avenue to reach such an ambitious goal. After all, he had experienced similar success before. Holiday’s contribution elevated Boston. The same went for Milwaukee.
Now, he finds himself in a comparable position in Portland.
No one is predicting that the Blazers will be contenders for a title, much less win one, in the near future. Nonetheless, alongside the 6-2 Bulls, they have emerged as the unexpected success story of the early season, boasting a 5-3 record with victories over the Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets, and Thunder. I positioned them at No. 5 in the recent Power Rankings, a spot they have fully merited.
Holiday’s efforts are supported by his teammates. This was the plan all along. Portland already possessed skilled players, forming a top-tier defense during the final third of the previous season. They simply required an element, or an individual, to push them forward, relatively speaking. Holiday, despite perceptions of a decline after a less stellar period with Boston the prior year, is achieving precisely that, posting his highest scoring rate (17.6 PPG) since his last season with the Bucks and 7.6 assists, marking a high point not seen in over five years.
The question of whether Holiday has been Portland’s standout performer thus far is debatable. The accolade probably belongs to Deni Avdija, who seems to be in All-Star form. Yet, this is undoubtedly Holiday’s team. The atmosphere of triumph and self-assuredness radiating from Portland now is not accidental. Holiday inherently brings these attributes. Alongside his defensive talent, still considered top-notch, they are indispensable qualities. However, it is his aggressive scoring and freedom to orchestrate the offense that have transformed what appeared to be a decreasingly significant role in Boston into a distant memory.
While with the Celtics, Holiday fulfilled a support role for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. He created space on the court. Provided defense. Executed plays and made shots when opportunities arose, but even these contributions started to take a backseat to Derrick White. In Portland, Holiday has reassumed control as the primary driver of a team operating at the league’s second-highest pace.
|
2024-25 w/Celtics |
16.8 |
46.5 |
4.8 |
9.2 |
4.9 |
|
2025-26 w/Blazers |
24.3 |
77.8 |
11.6 |
14 |
7.1 |
Give particular attention to that 11.6 value. That signifies more drives than Giannis Antetokounmpo. Collectively, the Blazers register an average of 60 drives each game, placing them in a tie with Charlotte for the league’s top spot. Avdija’s 17.8 drives per contest rank fourth across the league.
Couple this with Portland’s defensive capabilities, which lead the league in forcing turnovers at 20.8 per game, translating to 24.6 points per game (second only to OKC’s 24.7), and a recurrent theme comes into focus: Pressure.
“I believe our playing style and the intensity we bring to each game means it’s not going to be an easy contest for any opponent,” Holiday commented after Portland rallied from a 22-point deficit to defeat OKC. “Making it tough on teams is integral to our identity.”
This team decidedly attacks. And their approach is collaborative. Applying pressure and surrounding the ball with a defensive unit spearheaded by Holiday and Toumani Camara, wresting possession from opponents, and swiftly transitioning into attack — accounting for 23.5% of their plays (in the 90th percentile league-wide, according to Synergy) while securing 18.9 fast-break points per game, ranking fourth in the league.
The ensuing clip perfectly encapsulates the dual-threat pressure Portland exerts. Driving into congestion, being stripped, counterattacking swiftly, executing quick, decisive passes culminating in a lob dunk for Donovan Clingan (who, notably, is the last line of defense enabling Portland to apply so much pressure on the perimeter).
This style of fluid passing is a frequent occurrence for the Blazers. It’s part of their approach. They have shifted from being among the bottom ten in passes per game last year to within the top ten this year, with their passes progressively intensifying the pressure during a possession.
This is the distinct characteristic that sets Portland apart. It’s not merely their high volume of drives; it’s their passing out of those drives 27.1 times per game, exceeding every other team in the league. Rather than single-player assaults from beginning to end, they prefer engaging, sequential actions. Drive. Cut. Pass. Every action straining the increasingly challenged defense until it eventually gives way, like the parting of the seas. In its successful form, it resembles this.
Half-court plays, along with their frequency in transition, contribute to Portland taking 33.1% of their shots near the basket, second only to the Bulls’ 36.5%. By adding 42.1 three-point attempts per game, which places them fifth league-wide, more than 75% of Portland’s total shots are initiated either inside the restricted area or beyond the three-point arc.
Cleaning the Glass evaluates which teams secure the most favorable shots from optimal locations, based on league averages for specific zones, and only the Bulls can boast a healthier shot selection than the Blazers. Of course, improving the accuracy of those shots would be advantageous (their 52.0 effective field-goal percentage ranks 24th, per CTG), but shooting efficiency and their own turnovers offensively are the only areas that can be considered weak spots on this team presently, so being overly critical is not warranted.
Furthermore, the Blazers’ exceptional defense and ability to generate extra possessions through turnovers and offensive rebounds (Clingan currently ranks second to Jalen Duren with 35) means that, even with occasional shooting inconsistencies, they outscore all but six teams on a points-per-game basis. Combined with a top-eight defense, the result is a very formidable team. A team far closer to being genuinely competitive with the top contenders than skeptics of the Holiday acquisition had predicted.
Credit is due to Cronin and his team for taking a chance on Holiday. While he might not be the best individual player (Advija is incredibly skilled, as is Jerami Grant, and if Sharpe fine-tunes his shooting, be prepared), he is undeniably the most crucial at this juncture. He has transformed a group of talented players into a cohesive and successful unit, starting the season with a 5-3 record against, by far, the toughest schedule in the league. This is a considerable achievement, even considering it is only early in the season.
Does this suggest that we should now demand playoff contention from the Blazers? Absolutely not. The Western Conference is extremely competitive. Realistically, for Portland to secure a top-six seed would be a significant achievement.
Nevertheless, the Blazers are capable of challenging and defeating any opponent on any given night. Holiday’s assessment is accurate. You will encounter a significant challenge when you face this team, and all indications suggest they will continue to improve. Henderson has yet to participate. Looking beyond the current season, Damian Lillard is returning to the team, and the potential pairing of Lillard and Holiday in the backcourt is quite appealing.
