Jrue Holiday making great first impression on Bucks

Welcome to the 2020-21 edition of the Bucks Weekly Spotlight. Each Thursday, we’ll track the progress of the players who are trying to help Milwaukee make a championship run and give updates on other players from the previous week.

This is the 1st edition of the 2020-21 Bucks Weekly Spotlight.

SPOTLIGHT ON …

Guard Jrue Holiday

With a new supermax contract extension and two MVP awards under his belt, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has the same goal: Bring an NBA title to Milwaukee.

To counter back-to-back seasons of playoff disappointment, the Bucks front office shook up the core around the Greek Freak — most notably bringing in Jrue Holiday as the team’s new starting point guard.

No pressure, right?

Holiday, a two-time All-NBA Defensive team honoree, has gotten off to a quick start in Milwaukee. He poured in 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting in the team’s season opener, and added 24 points on 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range Dec. 29 against Miami.

The do-it-all guard has racked up 5+ assists in six of eight contests and 4+ rebounds in all but two games. Holiday also has tallied multiple steals in six games and ranks third in the NBA with 15 swipes.

Holiday has embraced head coach Mike Budenholzer’s let-it-fly scheme, as 70.5% of his field-goal attempts have occurred at either the rim or behind the arc. That number is up exponentially from 46.5% in 2013-14, his debut season with the New Orleans Pelicans.

BUCKSHOTS

— Jordan Nwora, the 45th overall pick in the 2020 draft, has appeared in six of eight games and has drained 7 of 13 attempts from downtown (53.8%).

— Sam Merrill, who was Mr. Irrelevant of the 2020 NBA draft as the last selection (No. 60 overall), has totaled 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. He’s averaging 7.8 minutes per contest.

— Bobby Portis’ energy has been a big boost for the Bucks off the bench. He’s second on the team in rebounds (8.0 per game) and fourth in scoring (11.4 points per contest).

— Milwaukee has started the same five players in all eight games: Antetokounmpo, Donte DiVincenzo, Holiday, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton.

— The Wisconsin Herd reportedly plan to opt out of the proposed 2020-21 NBA G League season, which will be played from a bubble near Orlando, Fla.