The New Orleans Pelicans are set to begin the post-Anthony Davis era, and one Pelican who is expected to have a bigger role is Jrue Holiday.
Arguably the Pels' second-best player last season, Holiday put up 21.2 points, 7.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in 67 games. New Orleans failed to make the playoffs, and to make matters worse, Davis publicly requested a trade which led to uncertainty within the organization.
Fortunately for the Pelicans, they were able to have a great offseason. They received a ton of assets by trading AD to the Los Angeles Lakers. They drafted Zion Williamson with the first overall pick, and they were able to bring in a couple of high-quality veterans. Still, Holiday is the player who is expected to rise to the occasion and lead the team to success next season.
In an interview with NOLA.com's Scott Kushner, Holiday said that he's really excited to lead the Pelicans next season, adding that he believes he has what it takes to help the team win.
“It’s awesome. It definitely feels good, but it’s also motivation to prove people right and prove Griff right. Obviously, the things I do on the court I feel like I am pretty good at it and want to showcase that talent. I want to win. And I think that’s the thing Griff has made known to me since the day he stepped into the building. So to be able to back that up is definitely motivating.”
Holiday has played almost half of his career as one of AD's supporting cast. He was able to get decent numbers by doing so. Now, the spotlight is on him to fill the role left by his All-Star teammate, and fans are hoping he can deliver.
People will talk about Williamson, the Lakers' arrivals in NOLA, and more, but when games matter the most, Holiday is confident he can do a lot of great things for the Pelicans, and he'll be ready to walk the talk next season.
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