Should the Indiana Pacers move on from Aaron Holiday this offseason?
Earlier in the offseason, we looked at the circumstances behind Aaron Holiday’s struggles with the Indiana Pacers last season and why that should not keep him from returning in 2021-22. To follow up, it is only fair to look at a few reasons why Holiday should be traded prior to next season.
Holiday is entering his fourth season in the NBA after taking a slight step back in his third season. Whether that is attributed to Nate Bjorkgren’s offense or a lack of preparation on Aaron’s part, there were too many poor nights from the backup guard.
Indiana was expected to have a solid shot creator off the bench in Aaron Holiday but he lost his minutes to T.J. McConnell early in the season and never really earned them back. While he did turn his season around at the end with some solid shooting performances, it might not have been enough to stay with the Pacers.
As a big fan of Aaron Holiday off the bench, it was easy to look past his sluggish start. When that slow start continued for more than half the season and his playing time got sliced to almost nothing, it was clear his future with the Pacers was in danger.
I do think the door is still wide open for a return next season but it seems as if Aaron Holiday will not return next season. Here are a few reasons why a fresh start would benefit both sides.
The Indiana Pacers trust T.J. McConnell to be the backup PG
With free agency around the corner, the Pacers may value keeping their own guys for a second season with Bjorkgren. T.J. McConnell is set to hit the market but served a colossal role for Indiana last season. His second season with the Pacers was arguably the best of his career.
McConnell started just three games last season but still averaged 26.0 minutes per game off the bench under Bjorkgren. In those extended minutes, McConnell set career highs in points, assists, steals, rebounds, and field goal percentage.
Not only did McConnell set a career-high in steals, but he also led the NBA in total steals with 128 in just 69 games. He shined off the bench and in his spot starts throughout the season, providing energy to a team that had none.
Not every day do you see a point guard record a triple-double with 10 steals to his credit but McConnell did exactly that. His game-to-game performance was admirable. Nobody has mastered the stolen inbounds pass quite as McConnell has.
Aaron Holiday has an advantage over McConnell as a shooter but McConnell does pretty much everything else when he is on the floor. If the Pacers can afford to bring him back, I think they would prefer to let him run the second unit and move Aaron Holiday in return.
The Indiana Pacers cannot afford to let Holiday struggle as the primary backup
If the Pacers give him the keys to lead the second unit and he is as bad as he was to start last season, the team is going to suffer. Shooting 35 percent from the field and under 30 percent from deep while only adding 6.2 points and 2.1 assists are not going to cut it.
Those were the numbers Holiday posted in his first 19 games last season across 20.3 minutes per game. A slow start like that would crush any early goals the Pacers have while sinking their bench unit, which is already looking like it’s going to get worse next season. Potentially losing T.J. McConnell and Doug McDermott this offseason would be a brutal blow to the Pacers.
The offense will run through Sabonis and LeVert, maybe even Malcolm Brogdon, but once they are off the floor, they need someone that can routinely run the show. Can you trust Aaron Holiday to be the guy each and every night after what we saw from him last season?
The answer is an astounding no. If he can get back to where he was headed in 2019 then the Pacers have something to work with but risking that is probably not the best move for a team in the middle of a rebuild of sorts.
If the Pacers can get any asset in return for Holiday this offseason, they have to make the move in my opinion. Let him start fresh with a new franchise while replacing him with someone else who fits the roster a bit better.
How could the lottery impact the Indiana Pacers?
With the team projected to hold the 13th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Indiana is in danger of missing out on the top wings. If each of the coveted wing prospects are taken when the Pacers are on the clock, they would be smart to add an NBA-ready backcourt player to take the job from Holiday and McConnell.
The Pacers need to start playing rookies in the rotation in order to get the most out of them. Too often have they stashed rookies in their rookie seasons and stunted their development. If they land Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell, or Josh Giddey in the first round, the Pacers have to get him on the floor.
In order to play a rookie guard, Holiday would have to sacrifice his minutes once again, and given his skill set, another team could swoop in and try to get something out of him. Holiday was rumored to be in trade discussions at the trade deadline so there was some interest in him prior to this offseason.
A second unit of Giddey, Edmond Sumner, Oshae Brissett, Justin Holiday, and Goga Bitadze has the makings to be a fun group. For the Pacers, that’s something we haven’t seen much of lately.