The beauty of the 2023-24 Boston Celtics is that they haven't reached the NBA Finals because of one or two players. They've benefitted from a balanced attack all year, which is the main reason why they have another shot at raising Banner No. 18.

The headliners for the Celtics are obviously Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as these 2024 All-Stars lead the C's in scoring this postseason and have only improved defensively. The other starters surrounding Boston's terrific tandem have been pivotal during this deep playoff run as well.

In fact, one of them is arguably the Celtics' biggest X-factor in their Finals matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.

Why Jrue Holiday is the Celtics' X-factor against the Mavs

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) during the fourth quarter during game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics guard Jrue Holiday has brought his game to a new level thus far in the playoffs.

The 33-year-old is averaging 12.7 points, five rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 37.9 minutes per outing. His increased scoring has been a huge boon for the C's, as their third-leading scorer in the regular season, Kristaps Porzingis, hasn't played in over a month since sustaining a soleus strain.

Whether or not Porzingis returns for Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday, June 6th, remains to be seen. Regardless, Holiday is shooting 48.9% from the field and 39.7% from 3-point land while bolstering Boston's undermanned offense.

Holiday even recorded his season-high point total this postseason. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, he dropped 28 points (10-for-16 shooting), eight assists, seven rebounds, and three steals.

This kind of performance is exactly what the Celtics needed with no Porzingis and rough shooting performances from fellow starters Derrick White and Al Horford.

“He’s the kind of guy that’s going to impact the game in different ways every night,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said following Boston's 133-128 overtime victory in Game 1. “Tonight, it was his scoring, his playmaking, and his defense. A well-rounded game by him. And I thought his poise and his demeanor throughout the game was instrumental for us.”

Staying poised in the playoffs is no easy feat. Yet, Holiday is an NBA veteran who's seen it all, including a championship. In 2021, the two-time All-Star helped the Milwaukee Bucks win their second title in franchise history. His championship pedigree is especially valuable for the Celtics, who, despite their postseason experience, have no other rostered players with rings.

Having a vocal starter who knows what it takes to win on the biggest stage should be helpful for Boston. When the C's fell short in the 2022 NBA Finals, they had zero players with championships to their names. They ended up losing in six games to the dynastic Golden State Warriors who won three titles in the 2010s alone. Lacking championship pedigree isn't a death sentence, but it never hurts to have it.

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Perhaps the most important thing Holiday has to offer is his defense. Although he's deep into his basketball career, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team (along with White) after successfully hounding opposing offenses all season.

In the playoffs, Holiday has performed similarly. Despite his aggressive, on-ball defense, Holiday is averaging just 1.9 fouls per game. This means he's stayed disciplined and done a solid job of keeping opponents away from the free-throw line while still disrupting their offensive flow.

Holiday has also routinely guarded elite players, including Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton in the Eastern Conference Finals.

“Jrue was fantastic. Jrue was exceptional,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said after Game 1. “Jrue came out and balled, and he was the reason we won this game. And he just was poised; he took advantage of his matchups; he just was so elite. And that is a lot, and he's guarding Haliburton, picking him up, chasing him around, that was special from Jrue Holiday.”

Haliburton candidly acknowledged that Holiday gave him a lot of trouble, via NBA TV.

“He's the best defender in the NBA. He has been for a long time,” the Pacers guard said.

Holiday's toughest defensive task of the playoffs likely lies in the Finals. The Mavs boast excellent scorers in stars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

In the Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had the best defensive rating in the regular season, were flamed by Irving and Doncic. Dallas' duo combined for 72 points in Game 5 while going a ridiculous 28-for-49 from the floor altogether.

Slowing those two down will be one of Boston's top priorities, as it'll need an all-around defensive effort to curb their offensive prowess. Still, a large share of that defensive responsibility will belong to Holiday.

If he can guard the Mavericks' top guys well while knocking down shots on the other end, Holiday could elevate the C's in the Finals and prove that trading for him was more than worth it. His first opportunity to do so will come on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET for Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals.