Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from brutal 113-98 loss to New York Knicks

Jrue Holiday looked incredibly -and understandably – rusty in his return to action for the Milwaukee Bucks

While the Bucks are still far from healthy, they got some much-needed reinforcements last night in the form of Jrue Holiday. After last playing on October 23, Holiday made his return to the lineup after battling through a laundry list of issues that included a heel contusion, an ankle sprain, and a cold that hindered his availability. Due to those circumstances, many expected the guard to show signs of rust, and they were indeed correct.

Coming off the bench, Holiday could not find any rhythm all night as he finished with 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-3 from behind the arc. The guard was not expected to magically be back to his true form on the offensive end after the extended absence, but his shot selection and overall finishing were tough to watch. The same sentiment goes for his facilitating, as he finished with three assists and a glaring five turnovers in the loss. It was a rather tough return to action for the guard, but fans should certainly be glad to see him back out on the floor.

Everyone that watched the title run knows how important Holiday is to this team. What he brings to the floor on both ends is virtually irreplaceable, and one bad game after the layoff should not be a deterring sign. It will take time for Holiday to get his legs back under him after an early bout with injuries and sickness, and last night was the first step in that direction. He was limited to just a bit over 20 minutes of action last night, as head coach Mike Budenholzer is known to keep his players monitored when they are working their way back into the lineup. That will increase with time, and Holiday will undoubtedly begin to play better basketball.

Welcome back, Jrue.