Jrue Holiday's injury update will be music to the Celtics' ears
Jrue Holiday will miss his fifth straight game when the Boston Celtics face the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
He has been dealing with a shoulder injury since running into a screen when the Celtics played the Washington Wizards on March 17.
Holiday has been a core part of the Celtics rotation this season. His defensive versatility has allowed head coach Joe Mazzulla to use versatile rotations without compromising the team's on-ball defense.
As such, it's understandable that Celtics fans were concerned about his absence from the rotation.
Fortunately, those fans can rest easy. At his post-practice press conference, Holiday confirmed the injury wasn't significant.
“Not a dead arm," Holiday said. "I got hit on my shoulder and it felt like my arm went dead. But it's not a nerve thing or anything. It's just the part of the shoulder that I got hit in. But my shoulder is fine.”
The Celtics have secured the first seed in the Eastern Conference. They do not need to rush Holiday back into the rotation.
With 11 games remaining on their schedule, they can be patient with the veteran's recovery. However, they must also be aware that he needs to remain in rhythm.
With Holiday likely to recover in time for the playoffs, the Celtics should be confident about making a deep postseason run. They've been the best team in the NBA throughout the regular season.
Now, they will need to carry that production into the postseason as they look to secure their first championship since 2008.
More must-reads: