Aaron Holiday had a down season for the Indiana Pacers but he can still be valuable in 2021-22.
The Indiana Pacers failed to meet expectations last season and Aaron Holiday was a big part of that. He struggled to get on track early in the season which hindered his development after a promising start to his career in Indiana.
Trade rumors throughout the season caused many to believe Holiday may not have even finished the season with the team that drafted him. When the trade deadline passed, the focus shifted to his future beyond the 2020-21 season and whether or not Holiday would fit into Indiana’s long-term plans.
Nate Bjorkgren did not have abundant success in his first season as head coach as the Pacers failed to make the playoffs last season. So many things went wrong for a team coming off a strong regular season the year before. Now, everything is muddy for Indiana.
The team heads into a pivotal offseason with several key decisions set to be made. They will be picking in the lottery for the first time in a while, have some expiring contracts to figure out, and may even decide to blow up the roster to start fresh.
Kevin Pritchard has his hands full but one of the storylines to watch this summer revolves around Aaron Holiday. If he returns, he could still have an important role on this team.
Aaron Holiday could benefit from another year with Nate Bjorkgren as head coach of the Indiana Pacers
A lot of Pacers had career years last season offensively under Nate Bjorkgren and the franchise had its best scoring season since joining the NBA. Bjorkgren clearly implemented some good things on that end of the floor but Holiday took a bit longer to adjust. A second season in the system could do him wonders.
After a horrible start to his 2020-21 season, Holiday turned things around once he got back into the rotation. It took a brief benching to ignite a fire but Holiday returned to the lineup and was much better down the final stretch.
Holiday averaged 8.0 points per game in the final 24 games of the season while shooting above 44 percent from the three-point line and 89.5 percent from the foul line. His usage was a bit down from previous seasons but there was plenty to like from Holiday as the season came to a close.
63 of his 68 three-point makes last season came off of assists, good for a 92.6 percent mark. His previous high for assisted threes was just 83.5 percent in 2019-20. Indiana is shooting more threes than ever before under Bjorkgren and Aaron Holiday has shown that he can be a threat from the outside.
If he is given a chance to be the backup point guard, Holiday could be a real weapon moving forward.
The Indiana Pacers lack depth behind Malcolm Brogdon
T.J. McConnell is set to be a free agent and could demand quite a bit of money after a strong season. He showed up on the stat sheet each and every night as a serious threat on both ends of the floor. His ability to rack up steals and assists off the bench will certainly be coveted by other playoff teams looking to add veterans to the rotation.
McConnell took plenty of Indiana’s backup minutes last season and even played more than starters on several occasions. If he does indeed leave for a chance to help a contender, that opens the door for someone else to step up. That puts Aaron Holiday right back into the mix as the primary ball-handler with the second unit.
Aaron Holiday is much further along than Cassius Stanley and has a leg up in that race if both return next season. I understand the displeasure with Aaron after how poorly he opened up his season but his growth and consistency in the second half should also be given credit.
His turnovers and defense have to see improvement next season but there is plenty to like from Holiday. If the Pacers bring back Bjorkgren for another season, Holiday would be a nice option as the backup point guard.
Aaron Holiday’s presence could impact how the Indiana Pacers attack the draft
With Indiana projected to have the 13th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, they could go a number of ways in the lottery. The most likely, or at least hopeful option, is for them to target a wing that can make an immediate impact. Given how valuable wings are and how the Pacers lack that position, they would be smart to target the top wings in this draft class.
If McConnell does indeed leave, the Pacers could easily target more guards in the draft to fill the rotation in the backcourt. Davion Mitchell is a name to watch as he would drastically improve Indiana’s defense on the perimeter while also bringing shooting on the other end.
Having someone like Aaron Holiday would not only help the Pacers with who they draft but also how they ease the rookie into the rotation. Indiana has not been known for playing young guys early in their careers so having Holiday for the upcoming season while developing their pick would certainly be in play.
Holiday may not be in their plans beyond next season but having a veteran with plenty of minutes under his belt should make things easier on the rotation while the rookie figures things out. It also gives Holiday motivation to improve knowing that there is a potential replacement breathing down his neck.
With just a month and a half before the draft, we could see how the Pacers view Holiday before they make any final decision.