Indiana Pacers: Most impactful players of the season thus far

Justin Holiday’s one-year contract has panned out well for the Indiana Pacers.

4. Justin Holiday

When Justin Holiday was signed as one of the last players of the 2019 offseason, it appeared his role was intended to be quite limited. With TJ Warren, Jeremy Lamb, and Doug McDermott all initially ahead of him on the wing rotation, it seemed he was going to be more of an insurance policy than a go-to guy.

But things have changed.

Justin has over the season proven he can be one of the more reliable bench pieces. While he’s been known more in the past as a solid wing defender, it’s his offensive game that has helped the Pacers in key moments this year.

Boasting a 42.0 percent 3-point percentage on 4.4 attempts per game, Justin is having the best shooting year of his career, and only falls behind McDermott on the team in 3 point percentage. Justin comes firing confidently off the bench each time he enters the game, often igniting the bench unit after a slow performance from the starters.

His height and high release allow him to get his shot off almost whenever he wants. His 8.4 points per game may not jump off the page, but the intangible energy and confidence he brings to the team should be of note.

What makes him so impactful is his willingness to take momentum-changing shots, and his ability to make these within a collapsed play. If the shot clock is expiring swing the ball to Justin. If no one else can get something going, you’ll notice Justin often exerting an extra bit of effort to get himself an opportunity when the team needs it most.

Solid defensive play and efficient offense makes him one of the more impactful players so far this season.