FanPost

UCLA Point Guard Aaron Holiday Should Be Lakers 2018 Draft Pick

UCLA point guard Aaron Holiday might be one of the best players available to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018 NBA Draft. His on court toughness and ability to shoot from all over the floor make him an ideal addition to the team. In my opinion, he’d be the best choice for the Lakers to start considering now.

Right now the Lakers are losing an average of 1.2 points off their net rating per every 100 possessions. But if Tyler Ennis were more of an impact to the floor, Lonzo would get the breathers he needs allowing him adequate opportunities to open up the floor.

Holiday is a rapid-fire shooter who can make shots from all over the court. He’s become indispensable to the Bruins as they’re now plus -177 when he’s on the court. He has a decent scoring ability off the dribble, but he also excels at collecting steals and assists, allowing the team to create more scoring opportunities. He’s an excellent free throw shooter, something the Lakers need. Not to mention, he’s also a legitimate playmaker who can defend the backcourt adequately.

Lonzo Ball is the leader on the Lakers court this season and for the foreseeable future. But Lonzo needs backup or at least a sidekick to work with. Holiday would give Lonzo the breather he needs. They’d play off of each other well, allowing for more successful plays.

Holiday is considered the driving force behind UCLA’s late NCAA tournament push. And he’s also earned a spot on the Pac-12’s All-Defensive Team. He’s not only UCLA’s leading scorer, but the Pac-12 leading scorer as well.

He's averaging 20.3 points per game and 5.8 assists per game. Seven different times this season he’s topped 25 points and reached 31 –plus points three times in 2018.

But things are entirely different once you get to the NBA. The pressure and intensity doesn’t always translate to the same scoring success as a player once saw in college. I’m not naïve to think Holiday will jump into the NBA making the same impact he did at Pauley Pavillion. But I do think he can get to that level and make an impact with the current thriving Lakers squad leading him.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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