Atlanta Hawks Player Preview: Justin Holiday

Height: 6’6
Age: 26
Entering 3rd NBA Season
College: Washington

Justin Holiday # 7 2014-2015 Stats

4.3 points per game
1.2 rebounds per game
0.8 assists per game
0.7 steals per game
38.7 percent field goal percentage
32.1 percent three-point percentage
82.2 percent free throw percentage

2014-2015 Season Recap

The story of the offseason has been how the Atlanta Hawks are going to replace DeMarre Carroll. Thabo Sefolosha is probably going to step into his starting spot, but that still leaves a hole in the rotation. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kent Bazemore will compete for minutes, but Atlanta also took a chance on another young wing that looks the part of a “3 and D” wing.

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Justin Holiday, the younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans starting point guard Jrue Holiday, didn’t get much playing time last season. He was stuck riding the bench on a loaded team that ended up bringing home the Larry O’Brien trophy. Holiday appeared in only 59 games for the Golden State Warriors, playing 11.1 minutes per game. He was shuffled back and forth between the Warriors and their D-League affiliate the Santa Cruz Warriors during the first few months of the season. Despite the limited playing time he still showed flashes of potential.

He had 8 games in which he scored 10 points or more. His best performance came in a March 13th game against the Denver Nuggets. Holiday finished that game with 23 points on 9-for-16 shooting and an impressive 5-for-7 effort from three-point range. He also grabbed 3 rebounds, handed out an assist, recorded 1 block and nabbed 1 steal.

Golden State shortened their rotation during the playoffs, so Holiday only played 11 minutes in total during their entire postseason run. Before signing with the Warriors in September 2014, Holiday bounced around a bit through the different rungs of professional basketball.

After four years of college basketball at Washington, he started his professional career playing in Belgium. The following season brought him to the NBDL with the Idaho Stampede. In 2013, he finally made his way to the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers. After 9 games with the 76ers it was back to international basketball. He played in Hungary during the 2013-2014 season before the Warriors gave him a permanent NBA home. Now his journey brings him to Atlanta.

2015-2016 Season Preview

After getting a front row seat to an NBA title, Holiday became a free agent. It was clear that he would never be able to find playing time in Golden State, so he elected to look elsewhere for a place to continue his development. The good news for him is that the place he landed would still be in the NBA. No more overseas travel for Holiday.

On July 9th 2015, the Hawks and Holiday agreed to a multi-year guaranteed contract. The deal is believed to be for two years for just under $2 million. The deal seems like a great fit for both sides. It provides security for Holiday and value for Atlanta. Still, Holiday’s role for Atlanta remains a mystery.

Lord knows what to expect from Holiday this season. He could end up playing his way into the rotation or he could spend most of his time on the bench as he did last season. Several times I’ve referred to him as a lottery ticket for the Hawks. If he hits on his potential, he could become a lockdown defender and a guy that knocks down the open three-pointers created by this Hawks offense.

The key to his development is on offense. If he’s an offensive liability, Budenholzer can’t afford to put him on the floor. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton called Holiday’s skillset a “Three and D starter kit”, but so far in his career the three has lagged behind the D. During his brief NBA career Holiday has shot only 31.2 percent from outside. Of course, his entire NBA career is a small sample size.

Given time with Atlanta’s coaching staff and more minutes, there’s a chance that his three-point percentage could improve. During his college career he raised his three-point percentage every season, finishing his senior season by shooting 35.9 percent from deep. If he can get close to 35 percent this season the Hawks would be ecstatic.

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If he doesn’t tap into his potential, then he will only play in garbage time, but considering how cheap his contract is Atlanta will be fine if he is a non-factor this season. The worst case scenario is that he barely plays, but still serves as a positive force in the locker room. That sort of thing (chemistry and veteran presence) tends to get overvalued, but having quality guys in your organization certainly doesn’t hurt.

Many folks already seem to think he will quickly become a fan favorite. Peachtree Hoops had an interesting piece about what there is to like about Holiday. At media day he spoke very positively about the impending season.

“We’re good. So many pieces, so many guys can play on this team that I think it’s not going to be much of any drop-off in first team, to second team, or whoever plays,” Holiday said. “There’s a lot of guys who like to work and like to be after it, and like to compete period, and that’s on both ends of the floor. I’m really happy to be here and be a part of it.”

Holiday has his opportunity, now he just needs to turn those impressive tools into a finished product.It will be interesting to track Holiday’s progress throughout training camp. Let’s see if he can play his way into a spot in Mike Budenholzer’s rotation.

Next: Thabo Sefolosha Player Preview

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