Jrue Holiday injury: Celtics guard out indefinitely with ‘dead arm’ as team being cautious down the stretch

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday is dealing with “dead arm,” he told the Boston Globe on Friday. Holiday has not played since the Celtics’ win over the Washington Wizards on March 17, and it’s unclear when he’ll be back. Rest is the primary treatment, and the team is opting to be cautious down the stretch.

“I’m feeling something, for sure,” Holiday said. “I still want to play. 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.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla offered few details, but said Holiday is trending in the right direction. “He’s in good shape,” Mazzulla said. “He’s doing well. He’s getting better.”

Early in the third quarter of the Celtics’ win over the Wizards, Holiday was guarding Jordan Poole when he ran into a big screen from Richaun Holmes. He jammed his arm and shoulder in the process, and you could tell from his immediate reaction that something wasn’t right. Though he remained in the game for a few more minutes, he soon checked out and has not been on the floor since.

The Celtics, who are currently on an eight-game winning streak, are 11 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the Eastern Conference and 6.5 games ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the race for the best record in the league.

As a result, there’s no reason to rush Holiday back. He noted that he doesn’t want to lose his rhythm, but it’s more important to have him as close to 100% healthy as possible for the playoffs. The Celtics are hoping to finally break through and win it all this season, and Holiday is a big part of their success on both sides of the ball.

His defensive ability is well known, and his presence on that end has been one of the key reasons the Celtics boast the second-best defensive rating in the league (110.3). He brings an incredible understanding of the game and has the toughness and versatility to guard just about anyone on the floor.

But he’s also played an underrated role in the Celtics’ historic offense, which not only leads the league by a wide margin, but is on pace to be the most efficient offense ever (122.3 offensive rating). Holiday’s 12.8 points and 4.9 assists per game don’t jump off the page, but he’s been extremely efficient and keeps the ball moving. He’s shooting a career-high 44.5% from 3-point land, including a stunning 64% on corner 3s.

If the Celtics want to lift the trophy this season, they’ll need Holiday to be healthy.