Pelicans' Gentry: Jrue Holiday to return this week

Finally some good news on the injury front for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Point guard Jrue Holiday is expected to make his season debut sometime this week, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told ESPN's Justin Verrier.

"Not anything definite, but it's probably going to be at some stage within the week, for sure," Gentry said. "Maybe within a couple days."

Holiday missed all of training camp to care for his wife and ex-USWNT star Lauren Holiday, who was dealing with a pregnancy, along with a benign brain tumor that required surgical attention. She was able to deliver their child safely and had the tumor removed successfully within the last month.

Sources told Verrier that Jrue is in great shape, but he'll be kept on a minutes restriction to ease his return.

He should give the floundering Pelicans a much-needed boost. Stricken by an unthinkable rash of injuries for the umpteenth season, New Orleans has relied on career backups in the backcourt as it stumbled to a 2-9 record despite the best efforts of superstar Anthony Davis.

The 26-year-old Holiday averaged 16.8 points and six assists across 65 appearances last season.