The Portland Trail Blazers had their five-game winning streak snapped after suffering a 123-114 home loss at the hands of the New York Knicks on Sunday. The one silver lining was the return of veteran guard Jrue Holiday, who missed almost two months (27 games) due to a lingering right calf strain.
As expected, Holiday was on a minutes restriction in his first game back, coming off the bench to record eight points (2-7 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four assists, two rebounds, and one steal in just 16 minutes of action. While the Blazers certainly could've benefited from a non-limited Holiday, it was great to see him back in any capacity.
Portland has held down the fort relatively well in his absence. They're still impressively right in the playoff conversation at 19-21, which is good for 9th in the Western Conference. That was largely thanks to Deni Avdija, who stepped up his playmaking with the Blazers incredibly shorthanded in the backcourt, well beyond just Holiday.
However, that also gives interim head coach Tiago Splitter a difficult decision to make going forward. This isn't the same Blazers team we saw when Holiday played in November. It's also not the same Deni Avdija, who continues to ascend at a rapid rate and looks well on track to make his first All-Star appearance. With that being the case, who will be the primary offensive initiator and lead ballhandler?
Blazers must continue using Deni Avdija in a point-forward role
Unfortunately, this may not be a question that Splitter needs to immediately answer. Not only will Holiday's minutes and role continue to ramp up, but more concerningly, there's at least a chance the Blazers will be without their star wing going forward. With less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Avdija exited the contest early after suffering a lower back injury.
Splitter expressed concern after the game: "I don't want to sound the alarm too early, but yeah, I'm definitely worried about it."
Avdija hasn't missed a single game this season. That streak appears to be in jeopardy with Portland's next matchup coming Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. This injury was ultimately as Portland finally gets one star back, just for the other to go down. Unfortunately, that's how the season has gone with Portland being one of the most injured teams in the league.
Hopefully, it's nothing too severe. And when Avdija returns, the Blazers will have a difficult decision to make about his and Holiday's roles. With how well he's played in Holiday's absence, we think the ball should remain in Avdija's hands as much as possible as he continues to thrive as a point-forward.
Avdija has suddenly become the face of the Blazers' franchise. It makes sense to continue making him the focal point going forward, especially considering how much better his age aligns with Portland's rebuilding timeline.
The good news is, Holiday's positional versatility and combo guard skillset make him well-equipped to take on whatever role the Blazers need him in. He's proven that throughout his career, as his ability to seamlessly fit in anywhere is why Portland felt comfortable adding him to a young roster this offseason.