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.
3 Milwaukee Bucks that need to step up in Jrue Holiday’s absence — Donte DiVincenzo
Donte DiVincenzo has had his share of hiccups since being promoted to full-time starter this season, and with Holiday out, the Bucks will need consistency from him. In Monday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets, Donte started things off on the right foot without his running mate in the backcourt with a well-rounded performance.
Offensively, DiVincenzo was shooting the ball well by going 3-of-6 from deep, which helped him rack up 13 points on the night. The guard is at his best when he is shooting the ball with this level of pure confidence that the Bucks have longed for. In addition to his excellent shooting night, DiVincenzo stuffed the stat sheet elsewhere with seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks, three steals, and just one turnover.
With Holiday absent, DiVincenzo will get more touches with the basketball, and Milwaukee will need him to capitalize on those opportunities. As previously mentioned, the most significant factor for the third-year guard right now is confidence, and hopefully, he can build some momentum following this stellar performance in Denver. Defensively, DiVincenzo will also see more high-end assignments that Holiday might typically get matched up against, and he must be ready to take them head-on.
Holiday’s unfortunate circumstances leave big shoes to fill in the starting lineup, and Milwaukee will rely on DiVincenzo to step up. The 24-year-old has showcased untapped potential periodically throughout his short stay with the Bucks, and perhaps this situation could unearth some more of it.
3 Milwaukee Bucks that need to step up in Jrue Holiday’s absence — Khris Middleton
Throughout the first four games of the Bucks’ current win streak, Khris Middleton shot the ball on average just 9.8 times per game. While the Bucks were winning those games, they will now be missing approximately 16 points per game with Jrue Holiday out of the picture. That means Middleton will have to get more aggressive when scoring the basketball to fill the void.
As evidenced by his heroics in the win against Denver, Middleton is certainly capable of taking on that approach when called upon. In 36 minutes, the two-time All-Star scored 29 points on 16 shots while also dishing out 12 assists in the victory. Middleton was orchestrating the offense, showing aggression with his shooting, and doing a marvelous job in facilitating the Bucks’ offense.
With Milwaukee’s third-leading scorer sidelined, Middleton will indeed have to shoulder more of the scoring load. For a player that is having arguably the best season of his career offensively, he is certainly capable. The forward is averaging 20.8 points on a highly-efficient .521/.448/.938 slash line, all of which shows his prowess as one of the league’s best three-level scorers and well-rounded players.
Milwaukee’s playmaking will also take a hit with Holiday not in the lineup, but Middleton surprisingly is the one to lead the Bucks in assists per game this season with six. Now, he will have the ball in his hands more frequently than before, and his playmaking will be pivotal to keep the league’s best offense firing on all cylinders.
Middleton’s phenomenal season has been flying under the radar it seems as he continues getting better and better with time.