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INDIANAPOLIS – In what is likely to be the last notable free agency move of the 2019 offseason for the Indiana Pacers, Kevin Pritchard definitely made one family happy on Friday afternoon.
The Holiday’s will have 2 of their 3 NBA sons in one city this coming season after the Pacers signed guard Justin Holliday to a 1-year deal, worth $4.5 million.
Justin, 30, will join his younger brother Aaron as an important bench player for the Pacers.
To start this coming season, when Victor Oladipo is still on the mend, Aaron and Justin could very well be the first two guards off the bench for Indiana.
But what the Pacers are getting in Justin is a tad different than what Aaron brings to the point guard position.
At 6-6, Justin has shown defensive ability in his career that could help solve a question that is facing the Pacers in 2019-20.
Who is their top wing defender, something that is needed to survive in today’s NBA, filled with elite offensive players in the 6’6” – 6’8” range?
That’s where Justin could take on some responsibility.
Justin’s NBA career has seen him stop in 6 places since going undrafted in 2011.
For his career, Justin is a very capable three-point shooter (34.9 percent), but is better known for his defense, which is not the strength for other Indiana summer arrivals T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb.
The elder Holiday has mostly been a double-digit scorer over the last two seasons, starting for the Bulls and Grizzlies. In Chicago, Justin set a franchise record in going 43 straight games with a made three pointer.
At the age of 30, Justin is three years older than any other Pacers player and is 7 and a half years older than Aaron.
Given what the Pacers are looking for off the bench (more of a shooting/offensive presence first, vs. more of a defensive option first), Justin could be one of the top 7-8 guys in the Indiana rotation this season. This signing continues Indiana’s approach this summer of acquiring versatile body types as they re-make the bulk of their backcourt rotation.
Here’s a look at where Justin could fit into some Pacers lineups, with the ability to play SG or SF:
Oladipo not healthy
PG: Malcolm Brogdon (26), Aaron Holiday (22)/T.J. McConnell (27)
SG: Jeremy Lamb (27), Justin Holiday (30), Edmond Sumner (23)
SF: T.J. Warren (25), Doug McDermott (27)
PF: Domantas Sabonis (23), T.J. Leaf (22)/Alize Johnson (23)
C: Myles Turner (23), Goga Bitadze (19)
Oladipo healthy
PG: Malcolm Brogdon (26), Aaron Holiday (22)/T.J. McConnell (27)
SG: Victor Oladipo (27), Jeremy Lamb (27), Edmond Sumner (23)
SF: T.J. Warren (25), Doug McDermott (27)/Justin Holiday (30)
PF: Domantas Sabonis (23), T.J. Leaf (22)/Alize Johnson (23)
C: Myles Turner (23), Goga Bitadze (19)
