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New Orleans Pelicans: Jrue Holiday Returns

By Owen Sanborn

Apr 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) dribbles the ball past Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 90-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) dribbles the ball past Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 90-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Seemingly out of nowhere, Jrue Holiday made his return to the court on Friday night for the New Orleans Pelicans. Sure, his on-court impact was minimal in the game against the deteriorating Phoenix Suns (he only had two points and five assists in 15 or so minutes), but it was nice to see him back out there after a 41-game absence.

Holiday will have a short amount of time to get himself acclimated back into the lineup and dust off the rust, as there are only three games remaining on the schedule. Regardless of that, his defensive ability is welcomed and could potentially be a difference maker in a first-round series against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

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Coach Monty Williams spoke about the impact of Holiday’s return postgame:

“He means so much to our team, not just to the defense, but his offense ability, also. It’s going to take him some time and he doesn’t have a lot of time, but to get him back into the rotation is huge.”

It is huge, Monty. It is huge.

Inserting Holiday back into the rotation takes some of the ball handling pressure off of Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon, while also taking some playing time away from Norris Cole (who I actually don’t mind, but when you are going against Curry in the playoffs you just are going to need a little bit more.).

There is an alternate universe where having Holiday back as a rotation trump card completely messes with Monty Williams’ head and causes him to self combust right before our very eyes. Will he elect to put Evans back at small forward and completely cog up the currently very spacious Pelicans offense? Will Quincy Pondexter be left buried on the bench because of it?

Could he possibly throw out a lineup featuring Cole, Holiday, Gordon, Evans and Anthony Davis at the court AT THE SAME TIME?

I am not sure what they return of Holiday means for the rotations, but with Williams at the helm I am pretty damn excited to find out what kind of a ride he is going to take us on.

There was a scary moment during Friday night’s game where Davis got popped in the Adam’s apple and didn’t return for a significant portion of the night. Williams also spoke about this postgame:

“I was concerned when he didn’t come back. The play happened so fast. I saw him walk off the floor and I didn’t know if he got hit there or right in the Adam’s apple.”

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    • Apparently Davis was unable to talk (literally unable to speak words with his mouth) to the media postgame so he was relegated to giving out quotes via text message from an official New Orleans Pelicans cell phone. I found this to be an interesting little detail that will most likely go under the radar.

    Could texting from an official team cell phone be the future of player interaction with the media?

    Think about it: Fewer spats between media members and players, and players would be able to clearly state their thoughts through writing as opposed to emotionally communicating verbally.

    I have found that I am 10 times better at getting my message across during an argument with my girlfriend through text message compared to when we argue verbally and I guarantee that is the case for 99 percent of the male population as well.

    I better get some kind of credit when that idea goes viral.

    Next: The Greatest Player In Every Franchise's History

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