After losing the first two games of the season, the Indiana Pacers are looking for answers. Is it time to turn to second-year guard Aaron Holiday?
We’re just two games into the 2019-20 season, and the early results have not been favorable for the Indiana Pacers and backup point guard Aaron Holiday.
While it’s certainly not time to panic, adjustments should be made to produce a better product on the floor.
It will take some time to tweak lineups and rotations with so many new players, but one thing that needs to change immediately is Holiday playing meaningful minutes for the Pacers.
Just six months ago, at the end of the season press conference, Nate McMillan was dishing out compliments when talking about his young point guard Holiday.
"“I’m very comfortable with him,” McMillan stated."
He then went on to talk about Holiday playing with confidence and having the potential to be a great defender.
McMillan seemed to lose that confidence in Holiday after a shaky performance on opening night against the Detroit Pistons.
Holiday took some ill-advised shots, blew an open layup, and turned the ball over in just under seven minutes of game action.
He hasn’t been called upon since.
Holiday will never reach his potential sitting on the bench, the Pacers need to see what they have.
He should be getting consistent minutes as a backup point guard.
Last season, Holiday showed flashes of great playmaking ability. He seemed to see the floor well as a passer but that’s not his only attribute.
Holiday is also no stranger to scoring the basketball. Last season he scored in double-figures on 13 occasions.
If you’re thinking that’s a low number, remember, he only played in 50 games and nearly half of those games were on very limited minutes or garbage time.
All young players are going to have growing pains. There will be some head-scratching plays and but jaw-dropping plays as well.
A backcourt of Holiday and Edmond Sumner could wreak havoc on any team’s second unit. The quickness alone would cause problems for most teams. Holiday needs minutes to show the world his skills.
It’s time to unleash Aaron Holiday.