Jrue Holiday finally returned to game action after a calf strain sidelined him for nearly two months. It was the silver lining for the Portland Trail Blazers, who had their five-game winning streak snapped by the New York Knicks on Sunday. Holiday was on a minutes restriction; he came off the bench to play 16 minutes, finishing with eight points (2-7 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four assists, and two rebounds.
Blazers fans were thrilled to have their veteran point guard back out there in any capacity. To Portland (and Deni Avdija's) credit, they were able to remain surprisingly competitive in his absence. Still, Blazers fans know this team needs Holiday back if they want a realistic chance of ending an active four-year playoff drought.
It's not just the importance of having a veteran leader on the court to help guide a young Blazers squad, either. In those 12 games prior to injury, Holiday was proving to be much more of an offensive weapon than many give him credit for at this stage in his career.
Blazers could end playoff drought this season with a healthy Jrue Holiday
During that stretch, he averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and most importantly, 8.3 assists per game. He gives Portland's offense much-needed balance and a capable creator to lead their attack. We saw in those games without Holiday that the Blazers have no way to consistently generate offense when Avdija goes to the bench. Holiday should change that, and Portland will eventually be much better with him back.
Unfortunately, that's going to be even more important in the short term with Avdija set to miss his first game of the season. Portland's rising star has already been ruled out for Tuesday's contest against the Golden State Warriors with lower back soreness -- an injury he picked up in the final minutes of their loss to the Knicks. Avdija's next chance to suit up will be Thursday, when the Blazers take on the new-look Atlanta Hawks at the Moda Center.
These injuries have been both brutal and untimely for a Blazers team that has yet to have a chance to evaluate its roster at full strength. When one key player is finally set to return, another one goes down.
Despite Holiday's injury, the Blazers are still in a prime position to secure a play-in spot, sitting 9th in the Western Conference at 19-21. Hopefully, they're able to maintain this standing with Avdija out of the picture. And when the Blazers finally have their two best players back in the picture, don't count them out as a threat to make the postseason.
Avdija's breakout is the primary reason why, but many overlook the impact Holiday had on this team before he got hurt.