The Boston Celtics have enjoyed the luxury of first place. They've already clinched a spot in the playoffs and have been able to rest multiple starters in their last few games. However, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday has needed a break more than others, as he actually sustained an injury last Sunday.
During Boston's 130-104 blowout win over the Washington Wizards, Holiday suffered a sprained right shoulder joint after getting hit hard on a screen, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
“Holiday said Friday that his absence is about more than simply being cautious,” Himmelsbach reported. “He told the Globe he has been experiencing ‘dead arm.'”
“Dead arm” is a common injury for athletes and can impact one's throwing motion. Therefore, Holiday's shooting motion would likely be off, or at least become very uncomfortable.
“Dead arm syndrome is pain or weakness in the upper arm during a throwing movement,” according to Healthline. “It can happen slowly or suddenly, like when your arm speeds up to throw a ball … Movements like throwing can place a lot of force on the shoulder. This means the rotator cuff needs to work extra hard to stabilize your shoulder during the movement. When done repeatedly, this can injure the rotator cuff tendons, causing dead arm syndrome.”
Jrue Holiday's injury status with Celtics
Holiday hasn't played since Sunday because of this designation, causing him to miss three consecutive games. Luckily, the Celtics are currently 55-14 overall and have a commanding 10-and-a-half-game lead in the Eastern Conference. The first-year Celtic has stayed relatively healthy this season, only missing nine contests thus far in spite of his veteran status. He has no timeline for a potential return at the moment but hopes to get back sooner rather than later to not lose his rhythm, Himmelsbach shared.
Over the course of the 2023-24 campaign, Holiday has connected from deep more often than not. He's shooting a career-high 44.5% from 3-point land, which is especially remarkable because this is his 15th year in the NBA. The 33-year-old is also averaging 12.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 33.1 minutes per outing.
Evidently, Holiday has been a huge offseason addition for the C's. He's helped fill the gap left by Marcus Smart, Boston's former vocal defensive guard who was involved in a massive trade last summer for center Kristaps Porzingis. While Holiday's defensive ability is well-known, the two-time All-Star has been extremely effective on offense as well. The Los Angeles native has fit right in head coach Joe Mazzulla's offense, as it relies on a high volume of 3-pointers from all around the perimeter.
Before coming to Boston, Holiday won an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. He stayed in Wisconsin for two more seasons until he was featured in a three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks. That landed Holiday with the Portland Trail Blazers, however, Boston quickly exchanged two future first-round picks, center Robert Williams III, and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon for the two-way guard. Holiday never played a game for the Blazers and he's been able to fit into the Celtics' system with little to no friction.
As for the other Celtics, Boston has rested them for less serious reasons. Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have missed a few outings, yet they haven't had any serious injuries to report. Porzingis, veteran big man Al Horford, and guard Derrick White have missed some games too, but that also has more to do with the upcoming postseason rather than actual injury.
Because Boston won the Atlantic Division and boasts the best record in the league, the worst it can finish at is second place in the East. Hopefully Holiday can continue to rest up during the Celtics' six-game road trip, as they don't return to Beantown until April 3rd. At the moment, they don't have a ton to play for in terms of seeding, so now is the right time for Holiday to recover and ideally find his shot again.
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