Jrue Holiday’s December to remember is a bright spot for Milwaukee Bucks

December has been a challenging month not just for the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, but for the NBA as a whole. Both players and coaches league-wide continue entering the health and safety protocols at a rapid rate, which has already led to numerous postponements and has shown no signs of slowing down. The Bucks have had four players enter the protocols this month with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Donte DiVincenzo, and Wesley Matthews. In addition to their absences, the Bucks have been without Khris Middleton for several games after he suffered a knee injury recently. In a month that has provided plenty of struggles, Jrue Holiday has proven to be a bright spot for Milwaukee.

How Jrue Holiday has turned up the intensity for the Milwaukee Bucks in December

It is no secret that Holiday had a tough start to the season. The guard battled with injuries and an illness, which held him back from being himself as he missed several games early on. However, he has regained his footing throughout his 10 games in December, leading the shorthanded Bucks as best as he can by playing his best basketball of the season.

The veteran is averaging an impressive 21.1 points while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor and 41.5 percent from 3-point territory. Holiday has done a hefty portion of his scoring at the rim this month as he is currently shooting 32-of-53 (60.4 percent) in the restricted area and 26-of-42 (61.9 percent) in the non-restricted painted area, per NBA.com/stats. With Antetokounmpo and Middleton missing time, the guard’s workload offensively has skyrocketed, and he has obviously embraced the challenge, as evidenced by his improved numbers. With no timetable on those two, the Bucks will need Holiday to keep his foot on the gas and remain aggressive with his scoring.

While Holiday has upped his scoring, the absence of Antetokounmpo and Middleton has forced him to also take on more responsibility as a facilitator. He has done great in that regard as he is averaging 7.3 assists per game throughout the month, doing an outstanding job of making sure his teammates get involved. One player in particular is Pat Connaughton, who has gifted Holiday 18 of his 73 assists this month, the most from any teammate. Connaughton, who has also done his part to step up for Milwaukee in December, has shot 19-of-38 (50 percent) from the floor, including 11-of-28 (39.3 percent) from three, on passes from Holiday this month. These two have developed quite the connection, and it has been on display in December.

Of course, Holiday’s sensational performance against the New Orleans Pelicans last week has been the highlight of his month thus far. Without several key players available, Holiday nearly carried the Bucks to a win as he tallied 40 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in what turned out to be a painful overtime loss in his old stomping grounds. Holiday’s ability to take over the game showed throughout the contest as he kept the Bucks in it until the very end, and despite it ending in a loss, this is one that fans will remember for a long time.

It should not be too far-fetched to say that Holiday’s All-Star stock has risen this month due to his fantastic play thus far. While he faces stiff competition in the Eastern Conference, his latest string of games has certainly caught some attention from the NBA world. This stretch has shown why the Bucks were willing to sell the farm for Holiday in that well-renowned trade as he continues to play phenomenal basketball for Milwaukee.

It is refreshing to see him bounce back from his slump with such authority this month as the Milwaukee Bucks battle a full plate of other issues.