Who should get Pacers’ backup point guard role, McConnell or Holiday?

The Indiana Pacers added a bunch of new players this summer, including T.J. McConnell, who could challenge Aaron Holiday for the backup point guard minutes. Who should the team entrust the second unit to?

Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan is no stranger to tough decisions. This will remain true as he will have to make the call on whether free-agent addition T.J. McConnell or Aaron Holiday will garner the most minutes at the backup point guard spot at the beginning of the season.

This offseason, the Pacers have put themselves in a position to succeed. For an organization that has been stagnant during free agency periods in the past, Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard and General Manager Chad Buchanan have displayed a sense of urgency heading into the 2019-2020 season. That has been evident with the acquisition of emerging guards Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, and four-year point guard McConnell.

With the departure of Cory Joseph, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, the Pacers needed to fill a void at backup point guard.  With all-star Victor Oladipo not being available at the beginning of this upcoming season, it is assumed that Coach McMillan will start Brogdon at point guard. This shifts either McConnell or Holiday into the primary reserve role.

Holiday, who is entering his second season, showed promise in his first go-round in the NBA. There were several instances throughout the season that Coach McMillan called upon the services of Holiday, and he rose to the occasion. However, as a rookie, there were clear indications of room for growth.

That was proved even further with a lackluster Summer League stint this past month that was marred by a sore left hip injury. Holiday showcased a comfort with being a leader on a subpar Summer League team, but did not have the breakout performances some had anticipated. It will be important for Holiday to have a strong remainder of the offseason as he will look to prove his worth in training camp against McConnell.

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Despite averaging 12.9 minutes per game last season, Holiday was the third option at point guard. With losing the rookie designation and Joseph moving on, one would think that Holiday would have more opportunity heading into 2019-2020, but with McConnell being added to the mix, that can change.

McConnell is proven. That is solidified with a two-year, $7 million contract given by the Pacers. The former University of Arizona Wildcat, who had spent his entire career with the Philadelphia 76ers before transiting to Pacers, has been one of the more consistent reserve point guards in the association over the past five seasons.

With 72 games started so far in his career, McConnell is no stranger on how to perform at a high-level on a nightly basis during an arduous NBA season. This is an aspect of McConnell’s career that can even be considered a reason to start the point guard on day one.

Coach McMillan may look to use the load management approach on Malcolm Brogdon to ensure his health throughout the season as he has averaged only 56 games played the last two seasons due to various injuries. McConnell may be asked to orchestrate the Pacers’ offense consistently.

Regardless of potential lineups, the addition of McConnell is about depth for the Pacers, an aspect of the team’s structure that has been a point of emphasis over the past few seasons. It’s hard to ignore McConnell’s experience both in regular and postseason play. Therefore, it is natural to assume that McConnell should get the backup point guard minutes when the season starts.

As many coaches would indicate, they want their team to improve over time as the season progresses. With that mentality, it is important for a team who has yet to establish their identity as a whole to start the season off on a strong note. That can lead to the Pacers coaching staff to fall back on the experience and leadership of McConnell as they usher in Holiday’s growth slowly throughout the season.

During Coach McMillan’s tenure with the Pacers, he has shown a willingness and comfort with providing the backup point guard with significant minutes and responsibilities. With Holiday still in a substantial maturation process and with the point guard position being one of the most difficult to make the transition from college to NBA, McConnell should receive the majority of minutes as the backup.

On the other hand, for Holiday to improve he will have to be on the floor. This is where respected coaches like McMillan make their money. The coaching staff will have to divvy up minutes to get a comprehensive evaluation for both McConnell and Holiday within the offense. However, the team will most likely have to initially rely on the services of McConnell due to his contract and veteran presence on a team that is significantly younger than Pacers teams of the past.

Indiana Pacers fans have been high on Aaron Holiday and will remain so, but with the addition of T.J. McConnell, the development of Holiday can take its proper course as he molds himself into a formidable NBA point guard. In the meantime, McConnell will look to take the pressure off of Holiday and usher the young guard along as the Pacers solidify their presence in an Eastern Conference that has a heightened sense of parity.