5 NBA players best positioned to take the next step this season

Indiana Pacers, Aaron Holiday, NBA
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Holiday, Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers have lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs for five consecutive seasons and as a result, made a change at head coach. The Pacers hired Nate Bjorkgren to be their head coach of the future and he brings plenty of championship pedigree with him. Bjorkgren was a successful coach in the NBA G League, formally known as the D-League, for years and after getting his opportunity at the NBA level, he made the most of it, helping coach the Toronto Raptors win their first championship in franchise history. 

With a new head coach in place and management looking to win now, not only could key players on the Pacers roster be on the move, but others will have to step up. Aaron Holiday is one of those guys who is not only primed to step up in a big way for the Pacers, but be one of the first players off the bench for them. 

Holiday is entering his third season in the NBA and saw a big jump in playing time from his rookie season to his sophomore season. Holiday averaged just under 25 minutes per game last season and made the most of it, averaging: 9.5 points, 3.4 assists and shooting 39.4% from three-point range. He started in 33 out of 66 games he played in for the Pacers last year, as a result of injuries on the team, and is set to take a massive leap during the 2020-21 season. 

Not only is he an impact shooter for the Pacers, but he is an overall playmaker. With all of the attention going to guys like Malcolm Brogdon, Victor Oladipo and T.J. Warren, Holiday is a guy who will slip under-the-radar and be an impact player at both ends of the court. He brings a lot of high-energy to the court and could wind up averaging double-figure scoring this season.

He has all the makings of being a solid and reliable back-up point guard for the Indiana Pacers and with rumors circulating that the Pacers could potentially trade one of their core players this season, Aaron Holiday would be the guy to step up for this team. Bjorkgren has been a key factor in the development of players such as Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, and he could do the same with Aaron Holiday. 

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