What will it take for the Milwaukee Bucks to contend for a championship?

Jrue Holiday may be the catalyst in bringing a championship to Milwaukee.

Though Jrue Holiday made himself a household name in ‘the Big Easy,’ it was a shame that he hadn’t played more postseason basketball. Over 30 career playoff games, Holiday averages 17 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds on 45.3 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from deep. Beyond the raw numbers, Holiday brings the intensity when his team needs it most. He normally draws the toughest matchup on the opposing team and terrorizes them on defense for a full 48 just to do it all again the next game.

However this year, things are a bit different for Jrue. There weren’t significant expectations during his other playoff runs, and whether he recognizes it or not, all eyes will be on him. Milwaukee shipped off their future by way of draft assets to bring in their go-to perimeter defender and ball-handler to add more pressure from the guard position.

According to metrics from Basketball-Index, Holiday tied for the seventh-highest matchup difficulty in the league this year. While that may seem logical considering his prowess on that end, most players of his caliber don’t guard the other team’s best players on a night-to-night basis. It required a level of commitment that would wear a star player down over the course of an 82 (or in this case, 72) game season.

Holiday’s matchup difficulty rating, which assesses the talent level of the offensive player that a defender is asked to guard on a nightly basis, is the highest of any player who’s reached an All-Star game in their career. He spent his whole season attached to the best guards in the league in preparation for this very moment in the postseason.

As a result of his efforts, Holiday posted the second-highest net rating on the Bucks behind Giannis this year. What’s more impressive is the underrated offensive impact that he’s had on his team this year. Jrue finished the year ranked second on the team in offensive rating for his incredible ability to read the defense and make a play — Whether it be through a score of his own or by setting his teammates up with a dime.

An aggressive downhill slasher, Holiday can score at all three levels while seeing the floor well enough to initiate for his teammates. His handle is tight and he has no problem shooting off the dribble when he can create some space, which will be invaluable come playoff time.

Having a reliable guard who can handle the ball and draw defensive pressure is going to open the game up for the rest of the Bucks. We’ll get a glimpse of his impact through this first-round series against a Heat team that he shot 52.3 percent against from the 3-point line in the regular season.

If he performs as he did during his previous trip to the postseason, the Milwaukee Bucks have as good of a shot as anyone to claim the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.