The Portland Trail Blazers (6-7) have had an uneven campaign to this point, dropping four of their last five games after starting 4-2, but Jrue Holiday has been a welcome addition to the team. He is bringing offensive stability and a wealth of hoops wisdom to Rip City, seamlessly reestablishing himself as a trusted scoring option. Unfortunately, though, the Blazers will not be able to call upon the two-time NBA champion for Tuesday's game versus the Phoenix Suns (8-6).
Just as was expected, Holiday is being ruled out due to calf soreness, per NBA correspondent Marc Stein. This will mark the second straight game the veteran point guard misses. Portland and Phoenix are both scrappy, but this disappointing news will force Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant to carry an even larger burden on offense. The squad could also struggle to replace Holiday's physicality.
The two-time All-Star and three-time All-Defensive First-Team selection is posting 16.7 points, 8.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He is also shooting 36.5 percent from 3-point range, a welcome statistic for a Blazers group that is only 33.3 percent from distance this season (26th in NBA). Apart from the big-game experience that Holiday offers, one of the main reasons why Portland traded for him this past summer was for the balance he could add to the roster.
The 35-year-old will have to find another way to contribute versus Phoenix. The Blazers allowed 278 points in their last two games combined, so they must stand strong defensively versus Devin Booker and the visiting Suns. Perhaps Jrue Holiday can give his teammates some tips from the sidelines. The action tips off at approximately 11 p.m. ET.
