Aaron Holiday is the Type of Player Every Contending Team Needs in the NBA

When the Houston Rockets first signed Aaron Holiday in the 2023 offseason, they knew he was a solid NBA backup who could come in and provide a spark when needed. When the Rockets signed Holiday, he was entering his sixth season, and the Rockets would make his fifth team.

Holiday is a combo guard who shot 40% from 3-point range the prior season. When Ime Udoka took over for the Rockets, he knew he wanted players like Holiday, who could go two weeks without playing a single minute but could step in and contribute immediately when called upon.

Holiday is also a valuable player off the bench because of his professional attitude. Every NBA player at one time was one of the best players on their team in college or high school. However, when they come to the NBA, they find out quickly that they will never be a top player and, in some cases, not even one of the top 10 players.

Holiday made an All-American team in his final college season and entered the draft after his junior season. The Indiana Pacers drafted Holiday 23rd overall. Holiday played fifty games in his rookie season and started 33 games in his second season.

His 33 starts in his second season were the high point of his career. Holiday would become more of a role player going forward but has never caused an issue on any team he has played on. Even though Holiday was not expected to have a lot of playing time his first season with the Rockets, he took on an important role after Thompson dealt with an injury early in his rookie season.

Even though Holiday only started one game that season, he played in 78 games and played over 16 minutes a game. Holiday had a season-high 22 points in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 16th, providing the Rockets with an offensive spark all season.

More than ever, Holiday experience and offensive spark are needed as the Rockets are bracing for an injury update on Amen Thompson. Thompson left Saturday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans after stepping on a defender's foot with a little over five minutes left in the game. Shams Charania reported Sunday evening that the Rockets expect Thompson to be out one to two weeks.

Losing Thompson is difficult enough, but the Rockets are without Reed Sheppard for the next month with an injured elbow. Fred VanVleet has missed the last three games, but the Rockets recently upgraded his status to questionable after he reinjured his ankle in his first game back against the Sacramento Kings.

That means the Rockets could be without three point guards, leaving Holiday as the only option. Holiday is not a traditional point guard, but he showed Saturday night he can provide a offensive spark when he has his outside shot going.

In the win over the Pelicans, Holiday had his Rockets' high 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field. Holiday is also an above-average defender and will go from his season average of 12.7 minutes per game to starter minutes for the foreseeable future.

Every team needs a player like Aaron Holiday on their squad. He never complains about playing time and is always ready to fill in for injured players. Whenever he is on the court, he gives everything he has, no matter if it is for five minutes or thirty.

The Rockets are back in action on Monday as they host the Orlando Magic for the first time this season.

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