4 issues to learn about new Celtic Jrue Vacation

Celtics

By Amin Touri, The Boston Globe

October 1, 2023 | 6:12 PM

The Celtics made an enormous commerce on Sunday, parting with Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, and a pair of first-round picks to land guard Jrue Vacation.

Vacation, briefly a Path Blazer after the blockbuster deal that despatched Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, was an important a part of the Bucks’ championship in 2021.

Right here are some things to know concerning the latest Celtic.

He’s one of many league’s greatest defenders.

Above all else, Vacation is called one of many NBA’s best perimeter defenders.

Vacation is a five-time All-Defensive choice, all within the final six years, together with three first-team nods. If there have been questions on how the Celtics’ perimeter protection would endure with Marcus Good being traded to the Grizzlies as a part of the Kristaps Porzingis commerce, there are few higher solutions than Vacation.

The 33-year-old has by no means obtained Defensive Participant of the Yr recognition, however is extremely regarded by his friends: in an nameless survey of NBA gamers performed by The Athletic final yr, Vacation obtained probably the most votes because the league’s greatest defender by a large margin.

“He may stand out anyplace. You place Jrue in any system, any coach goes to ask him to protect one of the best participant,” stated Suns celebrity Kevin Durant again in 2020. “He slides his toes so nicely, he’s received good fingers, he’s sturdy, and he’s received good instincts. … He’s particular.”

Vacation will get it carried out within the largest moments, too: His his game-sealing steal and alley-oop to Giannis Antetokounmpo in Sport 5 of the 2021 Finals is maybe his profession spotlight, and the Celtics know all too nicely how Vacation can flip a recreation along with his defensive heroics, discovering out the exhausting manner within the playoffs in 2022.

He shot nicely from 3-point vary in Milwaukee.

Vacation isn’t an elite shooter, however he helped house the ground nicely for Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee and has steadily improved from deep, hitting 39.5 p.c of his 3-pointers in three seasons with the Bucks. He shot a career-high 41.1 p.c in 2021-2022, and that mark solely dropped to 38.4 p.c — nonetheless a powerful clip — as his 3-point taking pictures quantity made a giant bounce to six.1 makes an attempt per recreation final season.

The 2-time All-Star will inevitably be in comparison with Marcus Good, whom he’ll roughly exchange in Boston; Good’s taking pictures was notoriously streaky, as he shot 33.1 p.c from deep over the past three seasons.

Vacation must be an general offensive improve on Good; he averaged 18.5 factors in three seasons in Milwaukee, however his profession excessive got here in New Orleans in 2018-19 when he posted 21.2 factors per recreation.

The Holidays are an athletic household.

Jrue isn’t the one Vacation to make his dwelling within the league; brothers Justin (Nuggets) and Aaron (Rockets) are additionally NBA gamers.

Jrue Vacation additionally married United States ladies’s nationwide soccer staff star Lauren Cheney in 2013. Now Lauren Vacation, she’s probably the most adorned member of the household, with two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup trophy to her title.

The Holidays’ youthful sister — additionally named Lauren — performed basketball at UCLA, as Jrue and Aaron did.

He’s a highly-thought of teammate.

It’s exhausting to be as beloved a teammate as Good, however Vacation has developed a fame as an incredible colleague within the NBA.

He even has the {hardware} to show it: Vacation has received NBA Teammate of the Yr 3 times with two totally different groups — no person else has received it greater than as soon as — together with the final two consecutively.

“It’s exhausting to search out all of the descriptors for Jrue as a human being, as a teammate,” stated former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer after Vacation received his third award. “He’s simply all about the correct issues, he cares about folks. He places different folks above himself. He simply does so many little issues off the court docket that I believe folks don’t learn about. On the court docket I believe folks get to see that lots and admire that. He’s simply received character, simply deep, deep, deep character and it comes out in lots of, many, some ways.”