{"id":185170,"date":"2026-04-01T13:03:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=185170"},"modified":"2026-04-01T13:03:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:03:14","slug":"jrue-holiday-key-trail-blazers-postseason-aspirations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/04\/01\/jrue-holiday-key-trail-blazers-postseason-aspirations\/","title":{"rendered":"Jrue Holiday Is The Key To The Blazers&#8217; Postseason Aspirations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Portland Trail Blazers&#8217; postseason goals are clear based on their recent play. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holidjr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jrue Holiday<\/a> continues to make a significant impact, as he is setting the tone for Portland&#8217;s energy. As they progress, the Blazers could be even more dangerous as they head into the Play-In Tournament.<\/p>\n<h2>Jrue Holiday Is The Key To The Blazers&#8217; Postseason Aspirations<\/h2>\n<p>With a win against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Portland Trail Blazers are only half a game behind them. That could give the Blazers some breathing room in the Play-In Tournament, as they can afford to lose one game.\u00a0The Clippers are currently in the eighth seed, but with the Blazers&#8217; win, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/03\/21\/the-trail-blazers-playoff-push-continues-with-recent-success\/\" target=\"_self\">it is closer than ever<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Most people might look at <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/avdijde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deni Avdija<\/a> due to his All-Star performance. However, Jrue Holiday was the catalyst behind the Blazers&#8217; victory, dropping 30 points on 7-15 shooting from three. This could be a promising sign moving forward because Holiday&#8217;s impact could influence his teammates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 800px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBtwJSlWwm\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 800px; aspect-ratio: 3072\/2048;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<h3>The Blazers&#8217; Postseason Goals Benefit From Stability<\/h3>\n<p>As a veteran with championship experience, Holiday is a key player for Portland. The Blazers will go as far as he can take them, especially given how he has played recently. With the talent on the Blazers&#8217; roster, Holiday provides the stability they need to compete against the NBA&#8217;s best teams.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I just think I took the opportunities and I made the shots. I wouldn&#8217;t say it was set up that way or whatever, but it&#8217;s being consistent with how we play the game,&#8221; <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/RKsWgs8NUQo?si=MWww4oDO6umz4UDS&amp;t=43\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holiday said<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after Tuesday&#8217;s win<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Since <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lillada01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Damian Lillard<\/a> is still out, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/31\/the-growing-importance-of-veteran-jrue-holidays-blazers-role\/\" target=\"_self\">Holiday&#8217;s veteran leadership matters<\/a>. Lillard can only do so much from the bench, so having Holiday out there goes a long way. He is a two-time champion, so he knows what it takes to shine in high-pressure situations.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">only right for Jrue to score 30 pts &amp; hit 7 3s in LA <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QVPGnCUqXg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/QVPGnCUqXg<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/trailblazers\/status\/2039230628080795781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Holiday is willing to make the big plays when needed. He has never been the go-to guy, but he always steps up for Portland. This season, he has taken and made plenty of clutch shots. Since Portland is a young team, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/03\/05\/how-blazers-veterans-can-lead-postseason-charge\/\" target=\"_self\">an experienced veteran who takes charge matters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Holiday&#8217;s impact shines through his stability and reliability. Acting head coach Tiago Splitter loves Holiday because of that. As they move forward toward the Play-In Tournament, Holiday&#8217;s role will be more important.<\/p>\n<h3>Portland&#8217;s Energy Is Much Better With Holiday<\/h3>\n<p>Holiday has missed plenty of games this season, which forced the Blazers to play with a make-shift point guard. Avdija did well in that role, but the Blazers are much better with a true floor general. With Holiday, they have a championship point guard who can effectively manipulate the game.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, a healthy <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hendesc01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scoot Henderson<\/a> also matters because he has a similar impact on Portland&#8217;s energy. Now that they are both healthy, Splitter&#8217;s offense looks much better. They now have dedicated point guards, so Avdija can focus on playing his role as the slasher.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">DENI-thing\u2019s possible \ud83d\udcaa<\/p>\n<p>A double-double for Deni in our big win tonight! <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UquolEoUms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/UquolEoUms<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/trailblazers\/status\/2039233215496663190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The roles are more defined with Holiday back. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/camarto01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Toumani Camara<\/a> has flourished recently, mostly because of his renewed role. He does not have to support Avdija with multiple touches as a playmaker. Camara is at his best <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/03\/24\/toumani-camara-improved-offense-trail-blazers-potential\/\" target=\"_self\">as an off-ball threat on offense<\/a>, as he thrives as a spot-up shooter or cutter.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/07\/30\/blazers-jrue-holiday-embracing-role-with-portland\/\" target=\"_self\">Holiday<\/a> can also lead the way on defense. He is one of the modern era&#8217;s greatest defenders, so the foundation for success is already there. With Camara, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/thybuma01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matisse Thybulle<\/a>, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/clingdo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donovan Clingan<\/a>, the defense is an intimidating part of Portland&#8217;s system.<\/p>\n<h3>Holiday&#8217;s Impact Goes Beyond On-Court Performances<\/h3>\n<p>While Holiday is already a fantastic player on the court, he is also valuable off of it. He is one of the locker room&#8217;s leaders, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/13\/damian-lillard-still-matters-as-the-trail-blazers-cheerleader\/\" target=\"_self\">since he is active unlike Lillard<\/a>, he plays a crucial role. With his championship experience, his teammates respect him, so he can proceed to keep being influential.<\/p>\n<p>The championship experience goes a long way because Splitter will normally gravitate towards that. He was also a champion during his playing days, so he knows that Holiday understands the weight of the responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>Leadership matters in the Blazers&#8217; postseason chase. They will have to go through the Play-In Tournament, which is a new obstacle for them. With Holiday leading the way, it will be easier for the younger players because they can trust their leader.<\/p>\n<p><span>\u00a9 Soobum Im-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Portland Trail Blazers&#8217; postseason goals are clear based on their recent play. Jrue Holiday continues to make a significant impact, as he is setting the tone for Portland&#8217;s energy. As they progress, the Blazers could be even more dangerous as they head into the Play-In Tournament. Jrue Holiday Is The Key To The Blazers&#8217; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5385,"featured_media":185302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,62,23],"tags":[187,2831,239,4702,443,49155],"class_list":["post-185170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nba","category-trailblazers","tag-damian-lillard","tag-deni-avdija","tag-jrue-holiday","tag-scoot-henderson","tag-tiago-splitter","tag-toumani-camara"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5385"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185170"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":185308,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185170\/revisions\/185308"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}