Justin Holiday: Impact Player in 2016?

Justin Holiday signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks on July 9th amidst the chaos of the NBA Free Agency period.

The signing of Justin Holiday by the Hawks was a typical under-the-radar, low risk move that many have come to expect under the Mike Budenholzer regime. Following the loss of DeMarre Carroll to the Toronto Raptors after signing a 4 year, $60 million contract, the Atlanta Hawks were put in the undesirable position of having to look for depth at the wing, but without the requisite amount of financial flexibility to pursue big-name free-agents to address the deficiency.

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In the same manner in which Danny Ferry found an under-utilized but high-ceiling player like DeMarre Carroll in free-agency two-years ago, Mike Budenholzer, Wes Wilcox and the Atlanta Hawks are hoping for a similar experience with Justin Holiday. A four-year player at the University of Washington and brother of New Orleans Pelicans PG Jrue Holiday, Holiday has played overseas as well as in the NBA D-League with the Golden State Warriors’ affiliate in Santa Cruz.

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Last season, Justin Holiday played in 59 games with the NBA Champion Warriors, averaging 4.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 11 minutes per game. Parallels exist between DeMarre Carroll and Justin Holiday that leads talent evaluators to speculate the Atlanta Hawks can help Holiday develop into a similar player that Carroll was with the team.

Justin Holiday shot 38 percent from the field in 2015, while also displaying a developing long-range shot that allowed him to make 32.1 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. To contrast Holiday with DeMarre Carroll before he became a part of the Atlanta Hawks, Carroll only 28 percent from the 3-point line in 2013 with the Utah Jazz.

Though Carroll’s loss will be felt, Justin Holiday brings a similar skill-set to the table that is waiting to be developed and refined.

Under the tutelage of Budenholzer, Carroll developed into an excellent long-range shooter, making 40 percent of his shots last season. The hope is that with consistent playing time and the right coaching, Justin Holiday can become an effective shooter and can potentially defray the loss of Carroll’s production.

On the defensive end, Justin Holiday exhibits quickness and athleticism that is vital to defending the Small Forward position in today’s game. The Atlanta Hawks will feel the departure of DeMarre Carroll the most defensively; so it is imperative that players like Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Justin Holiday develop their defensive skill-set when they are called upon.

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In all likelihood, Justin Holiday will begin the season behind Thabo Sefolosha, Kent Bazemore and Tim Hardaway, Jr. on the Atlanta Hawks’ depth chart. While the state of Sefolosha’s health is ambiguous following an injury suffered at the hands of the NYPD in April, the probability of consistent playing time is in the cards for Justin Holiday. Playing behind someone like Thabo Sefolosha will allow Holiday to learn from a defensive specialist, while having Kyle Korver as a teammate never hurts to help refine a player’s long-range ability. Playing as a part of a rotation for the first time in his career will enable Holiday to finally make an impact on a contending team.

Mike Budenholzer and the Atlanta Hawks will have to learn to win without DeMarre Carroll this season. Though his loss will be felt, Justin Holiday brings a similar skill-set to the table that is waiting to be developed and refined. It is unclear at this point what impact he will make; but with a long season ahead, there is a chance that if Justin Holiday is able to develop into the player the Hawks think he is capable of being, he will no doubt be an asset to the team in 2016.

Next: Atlanta Hawks: Slightly Lowered Expectations in 2016?

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