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Justin Holiday: The Newest Member of the Atlanta Hawks

By Jonathan Savitske

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Former Golden State Warriors swingman Justin Holiday signed with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday on a 2-year, guaranteed deal the AJC‘s Chris Vivlamore reports:

The 26-year-old Holiday appeared in 59 games for Golden State last season, averaging 11 minutes and 4.3 points per game for the Warriors. Though he only shot 32.1 percent from beyond the arc last season, he shot over 40 percent from the three-point line during his stints in the D-League.

-= Related: DeMarre Carroll Thanks Atlanta =-

Justin Holiday is also the brother of New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday, coming from a talented basketball pedigree. The signing of Holiday is a typical move by the Atlanta Hawks talent evaluators, who have probably watched Holiday for a long period and feel that he can add depth at the wing after the loss of DeMarre Carroll to the Toronto Raptors.

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Though this move by the Atlanta Hawks is another under-the-radar signing that fans have come to expect from the front-office, it is reasonable to assume that President of Basketball Operations Mike Budenholzer and General Manager Wes Wilcox feel that Holiday is a similar player to DeMarre Carroll two years ago — someone who possesses the potential to develop into an impact player despite being under-utilized throughout his career.

The potential exists for Justin Holiday to develop into a 3 & D player like Carroll, requiring more work with his jump-shot while refining his defensive play. Holiday will begin the year as the 14th player on the Atlanta Hawks roster, and will most likely find most of his minutes as a reserve.

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Similar to the signing of Carroll two years ago and Kent Bazemore last summer, Holiday’s addition presents the Atlanta Hawks with the chance to once again add an affordable and low risk piece that could pay dividends in the future — for both the team and Holiday’s career.

Justin Holiday also brings a championship ring with him to Atlanta, having been a member of the Warriors during the 2015 NBA Finals. His experience on a championship team can have a contagious effect on the locker room, and can bring with him an attitude of higher expectations to a team with its own championship aspirations.

Justin Holiday’s signing is another savvy move by the Atlanta Hawks front-office. Only time will tell if his addition will benefit the team; but once again, the Hawks have addressed a glaring need with a low-cost and potentially impactful acquisition.

Next: Kent Bazemore: Improved in 2016?

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