{"id":172387,"date":"2026-01-12T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=172387"},"modified":"2026-01-12T02:07:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T07:07:13","slug":"jrue-holidays-return-matters-for-the-blazers-playoff-hopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/12\/jrue-holidays-return-matters-for-the-blazers-playoff-hopes\/","title":{"rendered":"Jrue Holiday’s Return Matters For The Blazers’ Playoff Hopes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Portland Trail Blazers have lofty expectations for themselves this season. They started it off strong with Jrue Holiday<\/a> as the starting point guard. But after dealing with an early injury, anticipation has been building for Holiday’s return to boost Tiago Splitter’s offense.<\/p>\n

Jrue Holiday’s Return Matters For The Blazers’ Playoff Hopes<\/h2>\n

To start the season, the Portland Trail Blazers were flying high as one of the most competitive NBA teams. They were physical on defense, and their offense was humming along. Jrue Holiday was a significant part of their success, serving as the floor general and leader.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, he suffered a calf injury in mid-November, which took him out until this past Sunday’s game. Now that he is back, he rejoins a Trail Blazers team that is different from before. Acting head coach Tiago Splitter’s offense needed a spark<\/a>, and Holiday could be what they’ve needed.<\/p>\n

Holiday’s Return is Exciting For His Teammates<\/h3>\n

In Sunday’s game against the New York Knicks, there was a different vibe with the Trail Blazers<\/a>. They had their veteran leader again in Holiday. His teammates were ecstatic, including star stopper Toumani Camara<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“It felt good. So happy to see him in a jersey, being able to play again. Those moments are very frustrating. I feel for Scoot, who hasn’t been able to play… We\u2019re a family here, so to be able to have one of my brothers back on the court with me is definitely fun,” Camara said after the game<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Considering the Blazers have high hopes for the rest of the season, having a leader is a huge boost. Not only is he reliable, but his status as a tried-and-true point guard is also significant.<\/p>\n

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Jrue Holiday is AVAILABLE for today\u2019s game \ud83c\udfc0 pic.twitter.com\/upkugCeUXq<\/a><\/p>\n

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n