David Griffin has vocalized his fondness for New Orleans Pelicans’ resident star, Jrue Holiday, more than once now. His latest comments surrounding Holiday in the MVP conversation may seem far-fetched, but there’s validity behind his words.
Jrue Holiday has been amongst the best two-way players in the NBA for years now, but his skillset often goes ignored in the NBA spectrum. Such can be the case when you play for a smaller market team that hasn’t had much recent success like the New Orleans Pelicans. However, entering next season he’s surrounded by perhaps the deepest roster he’s ever had—and David Griffin has handed him the keys to the castle.
Last year he put up the best numbers of his career and if not for missed time, probably would’ve earned his second All-Defensive First Team honor in as many years.
| Season | Age | Pos | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | eFG% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 28 | SG | 35.9 | 17.3 | .472 | 5.4 | .325 | .523 | 4.0 | .768 | 5.0 | 7.7 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 21.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/9/2019.
Holiday’s 6 years spent in New Orleans saw him play second fiddle to Anthony Davis in the offense and understandably so. But with a young, albeit super talented, but still very young roster entering next season, Holiday could be given the green light in terms of his offense while the Pelicans’ core develops.
David Griffin brought about an interesting comparison when doing a radio show for SiriusXM NBA; it might have some fans yelling blasphemy, but listen to his words carefully and you might just see where he’s coming from.
No pressure, @Jrue_Holiday11, but the @PelicansNBA have high hopes for you.
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 9, 2019
When new VP @dg_riff spoke with @Jumpshot8 and @TermineRadio, he set the bar pretty high.#DoItBig #SummerLeague pic.twitter.com/o02tWWjWQ1
No one expected back-to-back MVP seasons for Steve Nash once he left the Dallas Mavericks as a 29-year-old after the conclusion of the 2003/04 season. Here are his stats that final year in Dallas.
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/9/2019.
Doesn’t necessarily scream “future MVP”, does it? But when brought into a new environment with a nice combination of young talent/skillful veterans, Nash thrived. The Suns went from a 29-win team the season prior, to 62 wins and a berth in the Western Conference Finals behind Nash’s MVP season.
In a sense, Nash did play second fiddle to Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas for years—though he also benefitted, his career did turn around in Dallas. But once given the reigns to his own team, he followed suit with the most productive seasons in his career. Could the same apply for Jrue Holiday?
Nash and Holiday are two different players but do have eerily similar career timelines if Griffin’s words ring true. Nash was 29-years-old once he parted ways with Dirk Nowitzki, Holiday is 29-years-old and we know how the Anthony Davis situation played out. Nash won MVP his first season away from Dirk in a fast-paced Phoenix Suns offense, could Jrue do the same with the New Orleans Pelicans?
The answer: probably not, but that’s okay, it isn’t expected. But we can expect Jrue Holiday to finally get the recognition he deserves with a season that results in an All-NBA Team placement, and another All-Defensive team nod (bearing major injury). Perhaps even being the first guard since Gary Payton to win Defensive Player of the Year award could be in play given how this team should stack up defensively.
The Pelicans are going to be broadcasted on the national stage more this upcoming season than in previous years with the hype surrounding the team—they’re going to be getting attention.
Jrue Holiday has lived his NBA life mostly under-the-radar, he’s been no stranger to the underrated monicker. However, his opposition knows his worth, this front office knows his worth, now he has a chance to further display it for the masses. Fans got a taste against Portland in the first round of the playoffs back in 2018, but here comes the full entree.
Holiday finished in the top 25 last season in points per game, was 5th in assists, 12th in rebounds from a guard spot, 4th in the NBA in blocks from a guard spot, and 10th in the NBA in steals.
He doesn’t need to go above and beyond that to secure an All-NBA team nod, the Pels just need to surpass 33 wins while he shines on an exciting young team.