The Indiana Pacers didn’t win their Summer League debut, but Aaron Holiday and others showed they have NBA-ready skills even if their games are still coming together.
It’s hard to find exceptional talent late in the first round and anywhere in the second round, but the Indiana Pacers might have found it in the form of Aaron Holiday and Alize Johnson.
The No. 23 pick, Holiday, had 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting, including 5 rebounds and 3 assists. He also had six turnovers and seven personal fouls, but this is Summer League and just one game of it.
Holiday’s shooting was displayed early with a pair of 3-pointers, as well as his elusiveness as he zipped in and out toward the basket, keeping defenders off balance.
He had no problem finding his fellow Pacers with a trio of assists as his teammates attacked the basket. There was plenty of aggression from Holiday when he attacked the basket, seemingly unbothered by taller and stronger defenders.
Of course, this is only one game, but my rule for Summer League is “Does this player look significantly better than the competition?” In that regard, Holiday clearly passed the test on the offensive side of the ball.
The No. 50 pick, Johnson, played just as the scouting report said he would. He flipped back and forth on defense between smaller and bigger players while scoring 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting from the floor. It is a crime against statistics to read into his +15 +/- from one game, but worth noting he was the only starter with a positive rating other than Edmond Sumner.
Sumner looked fine overall but a 2 of 9 shooting performance leaves a bitter aftertaste.
However, T.J. Leaf’s performance only left a bitter aftertaste because that’s what happens when you have a ‘reversal‘ as they call it in the competitive eating industry.
A 2 of 14 shooting performance (14.3 percent) and looking more of a wacky wavy inflatable arm guy on defense — and not in a good way — makes you question if adding 25 pounds to his frame was such a good idea. On the bright side, he grabbed 10 rebounds in his 27 minutes on the court.
Not overthinking Summer League
As much as we loved Holiday and Johnson’s performances, it’s important to remember in the back of your head it’s only one game. For the same reason, Leaf’s poor performance isn’t the end of the world either.
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- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?
Perhaps it’s just a positive outcome bias, but I’m more encouraged by Holiday and Johnson than I am dismayed by Leaf.
We know Leaf can shoot, we know he can play in NBA games and score points. There are plenty of reasons to believe today’s performance was an aberration.
With Holiday and Johnson, however, this is the first time we’ve seen them play against above-college-level competition. In their first game, they looked a step faster than their contemporaries. That doesn’t mean it’s time to reshuffle the rotation and usher in a new era, but they’re on the right track for getting minutes in the future.
Next: Out of left field, it's Kyle O'Quinn to the Pacers
I’ll be more concerned if Leaf doesn’t show resiliency in tomorrow’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. However, if Holiday and Johnson continue to impress, I’ll start to believe that they are more than just bright spots on the opening day of Summer League.