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2018 NBA Draft: Atlanta Hawks Guard Options at 30th Overall

By Dallin Duffy

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 9: UCLA guard Aaron Holiday (3) raises his arms in triumph during the semifinal game of the mens Pac-12 Tournament between the UCLA Bruins and the Arizona Wildcats on March 9, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 9: UCLA guard Aaron Holiday (3) raises his arms in triumph during the semifinal game of the mens Pac-12 Tournament between the UCLA Bruins and the Arizona Wildcats on March 9, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 09: Aaron Holiday #3 Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 09: Aaron Holiday #3 Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Aaron Holiday

The UCLA alum is looking to follow his brothers’ (Jrue and and Justin Holiday) footsteps into the NBA. In fact, a lot of qualities overlap between the three Holiday siblings.

Namely, their athleticism. Aaron is insanely quick, which can be useful in a variety of ways on the court. First off, he’s fantastic at creating his own shots. He combines his speed with great ball handling to create a tough match up for even the best of defenders.

Holiday can use this ability to blow past defenders for some inside scoring, but he is also adept at passing out of the drive finding open teammates for easy jump shots.

This speaks to his ability as a passer as well. While described earlier as a combo guard, his 6-1 frame would place him among the smallest of point guards in the NBA let alone 2 guards, so it’s likely he’ll be at the point in his pro career. This makes playmaking very important to his success.

Luckily, he’s seen as a floor general with great court vision. He did average 3.8 turnovers per game in his final season at UCLA, but that speaks more to his accuracy than decision making, and is something that he can easily work on. Brother Jrue Holiday struggled with turnovers in his first few seasons in the league with the Sixers, but since he’s joined the Pelicans he’s became one of the better point guards in terms of ball security.

Just like Khyri Thomas before, Holiday is known as a good defender. He racked up 1.2 steals per game throughout his three-season career. His quickness noted on before is key here and his shifty feet allow him to keep himself in front of the offense.

The best aspect of his game, however, might be his jump shot. Holiday thrives in the midrange and even beyond the arch, shooting 49% on 2’s last season and an impressive 43% from three. Look no further than this clip from his workout with the Nuggets to see his impressive, consistently fluid shot:

His NBA pedigree combined with his high volume scoring might have Holiday off the board well before the Hawks can think about taking him with their third pick of the night, but if he’s there, there is no question that he could become a steal.