With six wins from their last seven games, the New Orleans Pelicans have been soaring recently and they've kept a firm grip on a playoff position in the west.Most of the plaudits during this run, and throughout the season, has deservedly gone to their twin tower frontcourt of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.But it's also fair to say that their winning record this year wouldn't have been possible without the form of Jrue Holiday.On a roster with limited talent, the Pelicans decided to re-sign the point guard in free agency to a huge five-year, $126 million contract in the hope that he would become a third star that they can rely on.Aside from an All-Star year with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013, Holiday has failed to perform consistently for an entire season but he may finally be putting together his best year so far.
Faith
The 27-year-old is repaying the huge faith shown in him by the franchise with the lucrative contract as he's been playing at a high level for much of the campaign.
The New Orleans front office believed in him and he's becoming the player they envisioned he would alongside their superstar duo of Davis and Cousins.
The trio has averaged a combined 75.8 points and 31.2 boards over the course of these last seven games - which is an incredible 67 percent of the team's points and rebounds.
In his first 23 games this year, Holiday posted 15.5 points on 45 percent shooting and just 26.9 percent from three-point range.
In the last 24 games, however, those figures have shot up drastically to 21.6 points on 53 percent shooting and 38.8 from downtown.
The Pelicans were crying out for a potent third option to spread the floor and take advantage of the open looks afforded to them by their dominant tandem inside and Holiday is finally stepping up to be that guy.
"He's been incredible," Cousins said, per NOLA.com. "He took a lot of heat in the beginning of the year and he just stuck with it. He remained solid throughout it all.
"He worked his tail off and now he's playing some of the best basketball of his life. You've got to appreciate guys like that. We knew, eventually, it would come around; he's found his stride and he's been incredible."
The UCLA product is putting up 18.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game and these numbers have been huge alongside the monster stat lines that AD and Boogie produce on a nightly basis.
The two big men have been rewarded with All-Star nods but Holiday deserves just as much recognition for the team's success this season.
Both stars know just how important he's been and they've now found a winning formula that should see them make the playoffs.
When the threesome are rolling, the Pels are a tough matchup for any team and they've shown it with some gritty wins during this seven-game stretch, which included three overtime victories.
They now occupy the sixth spot in the conference with a 26-21 record and are finally heading in the right direction.
Winning has been hard to come by in the Big Easy in recent years but they've discovered that winning feeling and can safely say they have their own legitimate big three to brag about.