Getty Jrue Holiday
Jrue Holiday last played for the Boston Celtics on March 17. Since then, he’s been nursing a shoulder injury. Though Holiday will miss their game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 25, the injury appears not to be serious from the horse’s mouth.
Holiday gave the full extent of his injury, per Jared Weiss’ X account, which should serve as a comfort.
“Not a dead arm. 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.”
This is good news for the Celtics, seeing how late the 2023-24 season is. Their playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference isn’t in any danger since they have clinched the No. 1 seed. However, Holiday’s availability in the playoffs may have come into question, knowing how many games he’s missed. However, from how he’s put it, it appears Holiday should be good to go for the postseason.
There is still no timetable for when he will return to the basketball court.
Jrue Holiday’s Initial Details on His Shoulder Injury
Initially, it appeared as though Holiday’s injury would be a concern for the Celtics. He told The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach that his absences were not out of precaution.
“Jrue Holiday said his absence is about more than simply being cautious. The point guard missed his third consecutive game Friday due to a sprained right shoulder joint he says he suffered when he was hit on a screen during the win over the Wizards on Sunday, and he told the Globe he has been experiencing ‘dead arm,’” Himmelsbach wrote in a March 22 story.
Holiday told Himmelsbach that he’s “feeling something, for sure.” He also explained to Himmelsbach why it’s imperative for him to play sooner rather than later.
“I still want to play,” Holiday said. “That’s part of the reason I play basketball. But it’s also keeping rhythm. Sometimes, when you’re out for a long time, you break rhythm, but I feel like I’ve been in a good groove, and I want to continue to play.”
The Celtics have won all of their games since Holiday’s injury, so his absence hasn’t been a problem yet.
Jrue Holiday Has Been Practicing While Injured
Even though Holiday hasn’t played in over a week, he has still been practicing before the Celtics. Before the Celtics played the Chicago Bulls on March 23, multiple X accounts posted videos of Holiday putting shots up, including Sean Grande and the Celtics on NBC Sports Boston.
Jrue Holiday, who will miss his 4th straight game tonight, putting in work pre-game here in Chicago.
Good news for Celtics fans, Jrue Holiday out warming up in Chicago 👀
(Jrue is OUT tonight vs. Bulls with a right AC Joint sprain)
As Holiday alluded to while talking with Himmelsbach, he wants to keep his rhythm. While he’s still recovering from his injury, Holiday wants to do everything in his power to maintain the player he’s been since coming to Boston.
The Celtics have been cautious with their players this season. They’ve rested Al Horford on back-to-backs and have done the same with Kristaps Porzingis for the most part. Injuries late in the season, whether in the regular season or postseason, have been the Celtics’ undoing in their most recent playoff runs.
This includes injuries to Gordon Hayward, Robert Williams III, and Malcolm Brogdon, to name a few. It’s possible it may happen again, but at least the Celtics are taking every measure they can to prevent history from repeating itself.