Celtics don't need to rush Jrue Holiday back from injury
Jrue Holiday has missed the Boston Celtics' last five games. He injured his shoulder when facing the Washington Wizards on March 17. His absence was felt on Monday as the Celtics fell to the Atlanta Hawks in a game Derrick White also sat out. Boston will face Atlanta again on Thursday.
According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Holiday has begun practicing with the team.
"Jrue Holiday participated in practice Wednesday," Washburn reported. "Has missed the last five games with a shoulder injury."
Holiday will likely be available soon. However, the Celtics would be wise to approach his return cautiously. Boston has cemented its spot atop the Eastern Conference. Its remaining games hold little value outside of getting reps and building momentum.
It makes sense to bring Holiday back into the rotation before the end of the season. He needs to get his touch and rhythm back. Rushing him isn't the answer, though. The Celtics are in a fortunate position where they're not chasing results. They also have significant depth at every position. Payton Pritchard or White could assume a bigger role while he works back toward full fitness.
Holiday will have a huge role to play in Boston's push for playoff success. He's one of the best defenders in the NBA, regardless of position. According to Cleaning The Glass, the Celtics are +9.8 points better per 100 possessions when he's on the floor.
Ensuring he's healthy will undoubtedly be the main priority. It would make sense for Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff to slowly bring him back into the rotation. After all, there's no reason to rush him back for games that have little effect on the Celtics' regular season ends.
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