“More Valuable Player Than Damian Lillard”: NBA Analyst Declares Jrue Holiday’s Trade to Celtics Better Than Giannis Antetokounmpo Team Up with Dame

Jrue Holiday has had a few whirlwind days. After being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 3-team deal that saw Damian Lillard arrive in Milwaukee, the Boston Celtics acquired Holiday in a deal that sent Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams to Portland. Skip Bayless, who initially had said trading away Holiday for the Dame makes the Bucks a “little worse,” had another interesting take on the Celtics’ move for the player. He claimed on Twitter that Holiday was a more valuable player than Damian Lillard, despite the latter being more “fun to watch.”

The Eastern Conference has seen a few blockbuster trades in a matter of days. The Milwaukee Bucks emerged as the winners of the Damian Lillard race but ended up losing Jrue Holiday. However, Holiday’s move to the Boston Celtics alongside an already stacked roster means that the Celtics will be optimistic about their chances in the East. The move comes just after the Celtics had traded for Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards, back in June.

Jrue Holiday is more valuable than Damian Lillard, according to Skip Bayless

Celtics fans will be delighted with the way their roster is shaping up for the new season. With Porzingis capable of playing both as a center and a forward, there are a number of ways in which the Celtics can line up.

Holiday’s presence means that they have one of the best defenders in the NBA to count on, alongside the likes of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Holiday’s unique skills mean that the Celtics have shored up their defense without losing any quality in attack.

Bayless, who claimed initially that Lillard is simply joining a bigger fish in a smaller pond via his move alongside Giannis in Milwaukee, thinks that they lost in Holiday an even more valuable player. According to his tweet, Holiday’s presence means that the Celtics are now favorites in the East:

“Jrue Holiday now makes the Celtics the favorites to win the East and the championship. He’s a more valuable player than Dame – defender, playmaker, baller, leader, blender, winner. Dame is just more fun to watch. Celts coach must stay out of the way but congrats to them: JRUE!”

Bayless claimed that while Lillard surely brought in offensive quality, Holiday’s wide assortment of skills meant that he added more value to the team. One of the best defensive players in the league, Holiday is equally capable of scoring points. Bayless thinks that that is in addition to the leadership qualities that he brings to the team, something Boston Celtics might also benefit from.

Bayless thinks Lillard made a mistake by joining the Milwaukee Bucks

Lillard obviously wanted to join the Miami Heat initially. However, Pat Riley and the company failed to win a bidding war that saw multiple teams join in.

This included the Bucks, who ended up offering the best package of the lot. According to Bayless of course, the franchise has made a huge mistake.

On one hand, he claimed that Lillard had joined an even smaller market than Portland, apart from joining a bigger fish in Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has now said that Holiday adds more value to the Celtics’ roster than Lillard does for the Bucks, which might also make more sense, once the season tips off.