Jrue Holiday out 6 Weeks After Undergoing Surgery on Core Muscle Injury

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday's 2018-19 season has officially come to an end because of his core muscle injury.

The Pelicans announced Tuesday that Holiday will return to basketball activities in six weeks after undergoing surgery in Philadelphia. 

The former All-Star missed New Orleans' last eight games after being diagnosed with an abdominal strain following a March 6 game against the Utah Jazz. 

New Orleans head coach Alvin Gentry told reporters on March 14 that Holiday could be shut down for the season if the injury was taking longer than expected to heal. 

"Unless they look at it and say it's much farther along than we thought or something like that," Gentry said. "If not, I find that it's ludicrous for us to say we'll stick them back out there and maybe they won't get hurt."

Holiday and Anthony Davis are the two most important players for the Pelicans. The 28-year-old will finish this season averaging a career-high 21.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 67 games. 

As New Orleans rides out the string in 2018-19 before entering an offseason of uncertainty, Frank Jackson will continue to hold down Holiday's spot in the starting lineup.