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Aaron Holiday is Experiencing the Life of an NBA Rookie

By Luke Parrish

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 04: Aaron Holiday #3 of the Indiana Pacers stands on the court during the second half at the Smoothie King Center on February 04, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Indiana Pacers won the game 109 -107. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 04: Aaron Holiday #3 of the Indiana Pacers stands on the court during the second half at the Smoothie King Center on February 04, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Indiana Pacers won the game 109 -107. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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Aaron Holiday started his rookie season with a bang, but things have quickly turned around. The absence of Victor Oladipo has not been kind to the Indiana Pacers rookie guard.

After playing no meaningful minutes to start the season, Aaron Holiday got his first real chance for the Indiana Pacers in mid-November. Holiday then had a very strong stretch until mid-January.

In just over 11 minutes a game, the point guard averaged six points on .419/.271/.885 splits. He came in right away and contributed to the offense, including 1.6 assists on average and a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Holiday quickly became a fan favorite for his aggressiveness on offense, and his future looked bright.

Then Victor Oladipo got hurt.

Holiday Under Pressure

Now, it’s not fair to put all the blame and pressure on a rookie. However, Aaron Holiday has been in a drastic slump since Victor Oladipo was lost for the season. His minutes jumped from 11.5 minutes to 18.1 minutes, but his numbers do not reflect that same uproar. Aside from the Indiana Pacers annihilation of the Lakers, Holiday has struggled to hit shots.

Holiday’s shooting numbers have taken quite the dip. Outside of his 7/10 outing vs the Lakers, he is hitting just 26 percent of his shots. He is averaging just 5.8 points on .260/.320/.875 splits. His assist number have also taken a hit. His assist-to-turnover ratio has dipped to 1.4:1 during his slump.

One big reason for optimism with Holiday is his improvement from beyond the arc. While his long balls are still not falling at a great rate, he has hit slightly more of late. Despite shooting 30.4 percent on the season, he is up to 32.0 percent since the Oladipo injury. If you count the Laker game, that number rises to 37.9 percent as he hit three of four from deep in that game. That is a good sign considering that his shot has not been falling from anywhere else.

What to Expect

It is important to note that Aaron Holiday endured a similar struggle as a freshman at UCLA. In his first year, Holiday averaged just 10.3 points on .394/.419/.727 splits. In his next two years, those numbers made quite the jump. He settled in and started knocking down shots. From 2016-2018, Holiday averaged 16.1 points on .471/.422/.815 splits.

Aaron Holiday is still a kid. He needs time to adapt to the NBA and find his comfort zone. The Pacers spent a first round pick on him for a reason. A rookie slump is not abnormal, and he will be fine. That’s where the Laker game comes in to play. Despite being in a rough stretch, Holiday was able to knock down shots that night.

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Holiday can’t force his shots. He needs to get a feel for the game and let the shots come naturally, and he will return to scoring form.

The Indiana Pacers have a very promising player on their hands in Aaron Holiday. Despite his recent woes, there are reasons for optimism around the young guard. Whether it be during this season or in the off-season, Holiday will get his stroke back. It’s just a matter of time.

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