Los Angeles Lakers: Complete 2018 NBA Draft first round grades
Point Guard. UCLA. Aaron Holiday. 23. player. 100.
Despite trading their best player in the offseason last year, the Indiana Pacers were able to have a very strong season. In the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Pacers pushed LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, they came up just short against James and the Cavaliers. Despite being eliminated, the Pacers are clearly on a good path with ow their team is shaped. With the 23rd overall pick, the Pacers selected guard Aaron Holiday from UCLA.
On a poor UCLA team this season, Holiday took a big step forward and had a great season. After averaging just 12.3 points per game as a sophomore, Holiday ended up scoring 20.3 points per game in his junior season.
In addition to the strong scoring season, Holiday also averaged 5.2 assist and 3.7 rebounds per game. As the younger brother of two NBA players, Holiday will be very prepared for the transition into the NBA, and he has the skill set to help the Pacers. While Holiday is a bit small, he certainly battles on the defensive end of the court and is fairly strong for his size.
Getting a player like Holiday will help sure up the bench for the Pacers, as he can play both on and off the ball with the second unit. His height might be an issue, but he was able to average over 20 points per game in college, which is no easy feat.