Gentry: Re-signing Holiday is 'No. 1 priority' for Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans struggled mightily during the 2016-17 campaign when Jrue Holiday didn't play, so it should come as no surprise that their head coach, Alvin Gentry, really wants him back for next season and beyond.
Talking to Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson on Tuesday during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Gentry said that re-signing the 26-year-old point guard - who will soon hit unrestricted free agency - is a "No. 1 priority" for the organization.
Holiday only suited up for 67 games, which is actually the most games he's played for the Pelicans in a single season since being traded by the Philadelphia 76ers during the summer of 2013.
Twelve of his 15 absences were due to him taking leave to care for his ailing wife, Lauren, who not only needed to undergo surgery to remove a brain tumor, but had also just given birth to a healthy baby girl.
New Orleans went 2-10 during that span, but won four straight games once he returned to the lineup.
Holiday also missed three games in December because of a turf-toe injury. The Pelicans lost all three times by an average of 13 points.
He averaged 15.4 points on 45.3 percent shooting from the field and 35.6 percent from 3-point range, along with 3.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.5 steals with a PER of 17.1 in 32.7 minutes per game.
New Orleans finished with a 34-48 record, seven games back of the Portland Trail Blazers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.