Milwaukee Bucks: 3 players that need to step up in Jrue Holiday’s absence

The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a sizeable blow Monday night as they will reportedly be without starting point guard Jrue Holiday for the foreseeable future.

Before Monday’s tip-off against the Denver Nuggets, Holiday was surprisingly listed as inactive. It was reported soon after that he had entered the league’s health and safety protocols, and he obviously did not play in Milwaukee’s 125-112 win.

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There is currently no timetable for Holiday’s return, and he is reportedly not traveling with the team.

The Bucks have three games left on their current six-game road trip, and they will certainly be put to the test without Holiday in the lineup and with the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder all coming up on the slate.

Losing Holiday is tough, and hopefully, he makes a full recovery and can rejoin the team soon. In the meantime, the Bucks have the personnel on this roster to stay afloat. With that being said, here are three players that will need to step up with Jrue Holiday sidelined for an undisclosed amount of time.

3 Milwaukee Bucks that need to step up in Jrue Holiday’s absence — Bryn Forbes

When Holiday was surprisingly ruled out Monday night, Bryn Forbes slid into the starting lineup against the Nuggets. It was the guard’s first appearance as a starter this season, and he made a strong first impression.

In 25 minutes, Forbes logged 15 points by shooting 6-of-9 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc. When the Bucks needed an answer, the sharpshooter stepped up to the plate and embraced the opportunity all night long. As long as Holiday remains in the protocols, Forbes will likely continue to get the nod in the starting lineup, and the Bucks will need him to continue producing offensively.

Forbes has been red-hot in February, contributing substantially throughout Milwaukee’s ongoing five-game winning streak. He is averaging 15 points in that span while shooting 61.7 percent from the field and an impressive 60.7 percent from deep. The 27-year-old will not receive any praise for his defensive efforts, but if he can continue spacing the floor as good as he has lately, he can undoubtedly do his part to keep this offense clicking.

Now, the Bucks will need him more than ever as he finds himself as a starter. Before joining Milwaukee this past offseason, Forbes had started 143 of his previous 145 regular season games with the San Antonio Spurs, so this role suits him well for the time being.