Jrue Holiday says Celtics-Bucks is a big game because of the two teams -- not his past with Milwaukee

BOSTON -- Jrue Holiday spent the last three seasons engaging in some serious battles against the Celtics as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. On Wednesday night, he'll get his first taste of the rivalry from the other side.

Holiday was left stunned (along with the rest of the basketball world) when the Bucks pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Portland Trail Blazers to land seven-time All Star and offensive dynamo Damian Lillard. Holiday was a key part to the Bucks winning it all in 2021 and beloved in the locker room and pretty much all of Wisconsin, but he was sent away roughly two years after experiencing championship glory in Milwaukee. 

The deal sent Holiday to the rebuilding Blazers, which was not an ideal spot for a 33-year-old veteran. But he wasn't stuck in basketball purgatory for very long, and he couldn't be happier about his eventual landing spot.

A handful of teams tried to snag Holiday, but it was the Celtics who swooped in to add the five-time All-Defensive player to a roster already loaded with talent. The Bucks getting Lillard made them the clear favorite in the East, but that lasted just a few days when the C's threw a counter punch and acquired Holiday.

It sets the stage for what should be an incredible first matchup between the two teams Wednesday night at TD Garden. The Celtics sit atop the Eastern Conference at 11-3, while the Bucks have shaken off a tough start and are right behind Boston at 10-4. The first of four regular season meetings will be a good opportunity for both teams to see how they stack up against the other, even if Jayson Tatum ends up missing the contest for Boston.

Nothing will be decided between the two teams on Wednesday night, but the Holiday element will add a little more juice to it all. We'll see him go against his old teammates and, very likely, try his hand at containing Lillard, who has averaged 26.3 points despite some disappointing shooting (39 percent overall) during Milwaukee's eight-game winning streak. 

Bucks players have spoken about how "awkward" and "weird" it will be to face Holiday, who is considered one of the best teammates to have in the NBA. And while Holiday was obviously hurt by the Lillard trade when it went down, saying he would have loved to have finished his career in Milwaukee, he doesn't hold any hard feelings toward the Bucks. 

"They got what they wanted, so I can't be mad at that," Holiday said after Wednesday morning's shootaround. "I'm in the best place that I can be to compete against them for the top team in the East, and hopefully the top team in the league."

That's a very good attitude to have -- or at least voice -- ahead of what should be a pretty emotional game for Holiday. He said that he didn't circle this one on his calendar, though he may just be keeping his emotions under wraps. 

He did admit that Wednesday night is a big game, but not because of his history with Milwaukee,

"This is a big game because of the two teams that are playing and the caliber of the players on the court," said Holiday.

While Lillard has given the Bucks another dangerous offensive weapon and a deadly pick-and-roll partner alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Holiday has brought his two-way versatility to the Celtics. And the 33-year-old is making a clear impact on both ends of the floor.

The Celtics not only possess the best record in the league at this juncture, but they own the best net rating at 10.6. The Boston offense checks in with the sixth-best rating at 117.6 (one spot behind Milwaukee and their 118.4 rating), and the defense has been stifling with a  107 rating, good for third-best in the NBA. The Bucks traded in defense for offense when they swapped out Holiday for Lillard, and their 115.4 defensive rating sits at 23rd in the league.

Holiday's defensive impact on the Celtics, as has his absence on the Bucks. On Wednesday night, he'll get his first chance to show his old mates what he brings to his new team.