Halo

New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday has struggled to stay on the floor over the past three seasons, and the floor general won't play to start the 2015-16 campaign.

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Holiday Out vs. Warriors

Tuesday, Oct. 27

The Pelicans' official PR Twitter feed indicated Holiday won't be in action in the regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors because of a nagging leg injury, but he will suit up for Wednesday's contest against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jim Eichenhofer reported for the Pelicans' official website that Holiday will be restricted to 20 minutes when he does make his season debut. Head coach Alvin Gentry commented on the decision to sit Holiday against the reigning NBA champions:

We had a really hard practice two days ago. With the game coming right now and a game tomorrow night, we felt like from a medical standpoint, we were much better off resting him and then playing him tomorrow night. It doesn't have anything to do with anything except the medical part of it.

It would have been reassuring for New Orleans fans to see its past All-Star go up against reigning NBA MVP counterpart Stephen Curry and play well. They will have to settle for a prospective head-to-head matchup between Holiday and Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.

Holiday was traded to the Pelicans prior to the 2013-14 season, but he hasn't been able to pay dividends on a regular basis for one of the league's most prominent up-and-coming squads. During the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, Holiday appeared in just over 45 percent (74 of a possible 164) of the Pelicans' regular-season games as he battled a litany of leg injuries.

The Pelicans have proved to be resilient without Holiday in the past, though. Nate Robinson will fill in for Holiday as the starter, and New Orleans can turn to Ish Smith off the bench with Norris Cole also out because of injury.

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