Right on Time: Jrue Holiday Returns to Pelicans lineup

Credit: Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images

In the midst of a heated battle to earn a playoff berth, the New Orleans Pelicans just received some much appreciated backup.  Jrue Holiday, who has spent his last two NBA seasons starting for the Pelicans, returned to play last night in a 90-75 win against the Phoenix Suns.

Holiday is on a minute restriction, as he played 15:48 minutes and put a stat-line of two points on 1-7 shooting with five assists, three fouls, two turnovers, and one steal.  The six-year pro and former All-Star has not played since Jan. 12th which may seem like years for a NBA Player, Holiday was sidelined from a right leg stress fracture. Obviously from his performance tonight, he seems a little sluggish but five assists in only 15 minutes is very promising.

Before the injury, Holiday was averaging a respectable 15.2 points and 7.1 assists a game, shooting 36.7 percent from three. The Pelicans hold their own keys to a playoff destination, they currently sit at the eighth seed and are battling the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final spot. Probability is on New Orleans side, as they hold the tiebreaker over the Thunder with three games remaining (both New Orleans and OKC won Friday night).

Coach Monty Williams didn’t specify if the minute restriction would continue if the team makes the playoffs, but did elaborate on how he feels about his guard.

“He won’t be playing more than 15 minutes a game for the rest of the season,” Williams said. “Unless he feels better and we feel like he’s not in harm’s way – then we’ll increase it. But I doubt that he’ll get to his normal minute allotment. Jrue’s a guy who can play 35 to 40 minutes a night, but he won’t get to that.”

During Holiday’s absence, Norris Cole has been filling in while Tyreke Evans has been the primary ball handler. Even though Evans is having a great season, he is more valuable when he isn’t holding the ball for the entirety of the game.  Holiday will add another three-point presence and probably the best on-ball defender that New Orleans has. The question is how much will he really be playing?