Jrue Holiday stepped up in a big way for the New Orleans Pelicans' surprising first-round sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers. His defense was suffocating and he went off for 27.8 points, 4,0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers per game on 56.8 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc.
Catching up with @Jrue_Holiday11 to hear his thoughts on the playoff run, new team members, his off-season training and what's to come this season.💪⛹#Pelicans | #doitBIG https://t.co/BNakCIzhE1
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) August 29, 2018
In a video posted by the Pelicans Twitter account, Holiday discussed his offseason and what he is looking to improve next season:
“I would say shooting, especially three-pointers. I'm just trying to make my three-point percentage go up. I think quickness with the handle and getting by people. I'm usually pretty strong with the body, but again, you can improve everywhere and in every aspect. I'm trying to get quicker and stronger and improve my shooting.”
But this offseason, Holiday isn't taking anything for granted. He's looking to improve and three-point shooting is one specific area he's focusing on.
Holiday will need to take on a bigger role next season after DeMarcus Cousins decided to chase a ring with the Golden State Warriors and Rajon Rondo spurned the Pelicans for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Holiday could take a more prominent role in the offense next season. He's coming off a season where he scored a career-high 19 points per game. But with Rondo's departure, he may need to facilitate more than he did last season. The scoring numbers may go down, but his importance to the offense will not.
But offense is only one part of Holiday's game. His defense is menacing and he was finally rewarded for it when he was named to NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2017-18.
As the season creeps closer, it appears that Holiday is poised to build off of his excellent campaign in 2017-18.
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