Jrue Holiday still feeling pain in leg, return this season in doubt

Nearly three months since he last played basketball, Jrue Holiday is still experiencing pain in his right leg.

The New Orleans Pelicans point guard admitted Tuesday that the stress reaction in the lower part of the leg is still causing him pain. Holiday hit the shelf on Jan. 12 and was expected out for two-to-four weeks but then aggravated the issue in mid-February, pushing his timeline back another three weeks. In early March, he had a protective boot removed but continued experiencing pain, leaving his timeline open-ended from there.

With the Pelicans a half-game out of a Western Conference playoff spot, head coach Monty Williams has continued to hold out hope that Holiday will return. That seems incredibly unlikely with the pain still lingering and six games left on the regular season schedule.

Whether or not Holiday gets shut down for the season is a decision that won't fall on Holiday or Williams but executive vice president Mickey Loomis and general manager Dell Demps.

"Mickey obviously will make the last call on that," Williams said. "But I am sure that's on the table ... But my hope is that he can play this year and help us. Even if it's in a limited role."

Holiday has been traveling with the team and has elevated his workload to 2-on-2 scrimmage work but still sounds a ways away from being game-ready.

"I practiced today, I did walk through today," Holiday said Tuesday. "They really have a good rhythm and all that. I'm gonna try to get on the court a little more and try to get a rhythm and see what happens from there."

Holiday confirmed he won't play Tuesday and seemed at a loss for an exact timeline for his return, using the word if instead of when. His frustration is understandable considering the difficulty in understanding stress reactions, especially ones that linger.

Prior to the injury, Holiday was averaging 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.6 steals. Tyreke Evans has filled in capably as the team's starting point guard on offense but there's nobody on the roster that can replicate Holiday's defense, something that would be paramount to stealing a series as the eight-seed.