It's the holiday season, so it doesn't seem right that Aaron Holiday of all people is going to spend Christmas Day alone.
His parents and sister live in California and his two brothers are playing on other NBA teams, so that leaves the Pacers' rookie pretty much to himself on Tuesday before he joins the rest of the team's traveling party that evening for a flight to Atlanta ahead of Wednesday's game.
"Nobody's out here but me," he said following Tuesday's practice at St. Vincent Center. "It's all good. No big deal."
You can believe him when he says that. Holiday clearly is unfazed by the emotional swings of his new job, having adopted the nose-to-the-grindstone-deal-with-whatever-comes-your-way-and-wait-your turn approach that serves NBA rookies well - particularly those drafted 23rd. He's barely cracked a facial expression all season, other than the occasional celebration of a particularly big play, but he's inspired plenty of emotional reactions from other people.
Injuries to Victor Oladipo and then Tyreke Evans have created opportunities for him that likely wouldn't have come otherwise this season. His first opportunity to play meaningful minutes came on Nov. 17 against Atlanta, when Oladipo went down with a sore knee. He stunned the fans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse with 12 points in 15 minutes that night, then came back the following game against Utah with 19 points in an even better performance.
Through his first two opportunities at extended playing time he was averaging 15.5 points on 69 percent shooting and five rebounds, and creating quite a stir among the Pacers' fan base, many of whom saw – and still see - him as a gift to be fully unwrapped next season.
Holiday has come back to reality since then, looking more like a rookie than a savior. Since that November game against the Hawks he's averaged 7.8 points on 41 percent shooting, including 24 percent of his 3-point shots in 15 games. He's also had to sit out the four in which Oladipo and Evans both were available.
His 12-point outing in Sunday's victory over Washington was his first double-figure scoring game since Nov. 26, and his made 3-pointer was his first since Dec. 10.
In other words, he's playing like most rookies drafted past the midpoint of the first round play. But he's also showing plenty of promise, and comparing favorably to the last point guard the Pacers drafted with the 23rd overall pick: Travis Best in 1995. Best averaged 3.7 points in 59 appearances as a rookie while stuck behind Mark Jackson and Haywoode Workman.
It was reasonable to assume Holiday would have a similar season while living off whatever scraps of minutes Darren Collison and Cory Joseph left in their trail, but the injuries have allowed him extended minutes as an off-guard. And he's impressed with his defensive pressure and offensive poise.
Coach Nate McMillan says Holiday has played "probably a little better" than he expected him to at this stage. Victor Oladipo says he's "going to be just fine." Myles Turner, who is just six months older than Holiday, says he plays bigger than most 6-foot-1 guards play.
"He doesn't have any fear," Oladipo said. "That's huge. That's something you can't teach."
"He came into training camp with that dog mentality," Turner said. "He went at everybody. It shows on the floor, too. He brings us instant offense and works his *** off on defense."
Or, as McMillan once said: "He has that whatever that is about him."
Holiday's only real fault, other than a shooting percentage that likely will be corrected by the law of averages given his history, is that he shows too much confidence at times. Some of his shots have come too quickly in the halfcourt offense, but that flaw is viewed as a quasi-asset because it reflects a fearless approach that generally serves him well.
The trick will be to navigate the fine line of confidence and recklessness that runs through shot selection. Holiday needs to take advantage of a smooth shooting touch that produced three seasons of 40-plus 3-point percentages at UCLA without taking bad shots that disrupt the offense.
"We have to reel him in a little bit sometimes," Turner said, smiling. "You have to bring him back down to earth. We tell him to be himself, though. That's important. Coming in as a rookie you have to play your role, but you have to play your game as well. You got here for a reason."
Oladipo sees a little of his rookie self in Holiday. The second pick in the 2013 draft, Oladipo averaged 13.8 points in 31 minutes as a rookie with Orlando while hitting 42 percent of his field goal attempts and 32 percent of his 3-point attempts. He also averaged nearly as many turnovers (3.2) as assists (4.1) that season.
He was fearless, too.
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"It didn't always work out for me, though," Oladipo said. "I played a lot more minutes than him so it hurt a little more. You go out there and you love the game so much you want to do well, so you just go play."
That's a concise summary of what Holiday has done. In fact, that's exactly what television commentator Quinn Buckner said when Holiday drained a transition 3-pointer just 35 seconds of game clock after first taking the court late in the third quarter in that November game against Atlanta.
"He just plays."
Buckner added another to-the-point analysis when Holiday hit his second three-point attempt with 9:48 left in the fourth quarter of that game.
"He is not afraid."
So it only follows that he's not afraid of being home alone for the holidays. Holiday comes from a close-knit family of basketball high-achievers that provides plenty of security. Mom and Dad both played college basketball, as did his older sister. Brothers Jrue (New Orelans) and Justin (Chicago) are playing it now in the NBA. Aaron has had to adjust to playing off the bench, and sometimes not at all, but understands his breaking-in status and appreciates the opportunities he's getting.
It would seem to be an exciting time for the family, this rare occasion of three brothers playing and playing well in the NBA all at once. But don't go to Holiday for gooey sentiments.
What do his parents think of it?
"You've got to ask them," he said. "I guess it's exciting, but you'd have to ask them."
Are his brothers giving him advice?
"They let me go through it on my own," he said. "If I need help, I can ask them."
Has he asked them?
"No."
No need, apparently. He'll figure it out himself.
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Mark Montieth's book on the formation and groundbreaking seasons of the Pacers, "Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis," is available in bookstores throughout Indiana and on Amazon.com.
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