New Orleans Pelicans: The 3 Most Underappreciated Players in the NBA

Jrue Hoilday: Shooting guard, New Orleans Pelicans

When your team has a human highlight reel named Zion Williamson who happens to be one of the most hyped rookies in NBA history, you are bound to get overlooked.

Add another young All-Star in Brandon Ingram, and a budding star point guard and tabloid celebrity in Lonzo Ball and there’s not much attention left to go around.

But make no mistake, Jrue Holiday is what makes the New Orleans Pelicans go.

You don’t hear Holiday’s name much unless it is in trade rumors, but he has quietly become one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

Lonzo gets most of the headlines, but Holiday averages more points (19.6 per game), steals and blocks than Lonzo and is just behind him in assists even though ‘Zo has the ball in his hands more often.

Holiday is the guy the New Orleans Pelicans turn to when they need a hoop and he is often tasked with guarding the other team’s best player regardless of his size.

Holiday morphs to provide whatever the Pelicans need on a given night, whether it is sacrificing his stats and body to guard LeBron James, or knocking down seven 3-pointers against a division rival in a key game:

While Zion and Lonzo get all of the love on ESPN, Holiday is quietly the most important player on the New Orleans Pelicans.

He moved to shooting guard to make room for Lonzo, and his defensive versatility is what allows the Pelicans to go small at times.

Holiday doesn’t seek out the glory, but he deserves a lot of the credit for the remaking of this lineup, as the New Orleans Pelicans probably wouldn’t have traded for Lonzo had they not known Holiday would be able to handle switching positions.

Like Ibaka and Gallinari, Holiday is what makes his team go and deserves a lot more appreciation.