Photo: Portland Trail Blazers/X

The Portland Trail Blazers are not expecting Jrue Holiday to suit up Friday against the Houston Rockets, as the veteran guard has been labeled doubtful in the team’s latest injury update shared on social media.

While that designation all but rules him out for the matchup, it also represents a subtle but meaningful shift in his recovery timeline.

As Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report points out, this is the first time in nearly seven weeks that Holiday has carried a status other than out, a change that hints his comeback may finally be approaching.

Highkin notes that Portland has consistently erred on the side of caution throughout the process, but the move to doubtful suggests Holiday is progressing and edging closer to game readiness.

The six-time All-Defensive selection and two-time NBA champion has been sidelined since November 14 while dealing with a strained right calf, an injury that has kept him out far longer than initially anticipated.

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