In this series, we’ll examine each of the Sixers under contract for the 2013-14 season and one aspect of his game he could work on during the offseason.
Despite a sluggish end to the season that likely saw him worn down after carrying the team much of the year, Jrue Holiday truly had a breakout 2012-13 campaign. Along with making his first all star game, Holiday averaged career-highs in points (17.7), rebounds (4.2), and assists (8.0). The truly remarkable aspect of his scoring production was how he achieved it without the benefit of earning many free points from the charity stripe. Among the top 25 scorers in the NBA this season, Holiday attempted the second-fewest free throws per game (3.1), only ahead of Al Jefferson. Continued improvement in getting to the foul line is a crucial part of the young guard’s development going forward.
Advanced statistics track a player’s Free Throw Rate as the ratio of Free Throws Attempted to Field Goals Attempted (or FTA/FGA). Holiday’s FTA/FGA sat at just 0.19 this past season, which represented an improvement over his abysmal 2011-12 mark of 0.14, but was still considerably below average. Among players receiving 20 minutes or more per game, the league average Free Throw Rate was 0.269 total and 0.253 for point guards. Even just approaching average levels of production from the foul line would greatly benefit Holiday’s evolving offensive game.
For better or worse, players affixed with the ‘all-star’ label generally get the benefit of the doubt with contact calls in the paint from referees across the league. Holiday needs to use his rising star status in NBA circles to his advantage and be much more aggressive in playing to contact. He has shown an ability to finish with both hands in the paint on those occasions when he does enter into attack mode. A more aggressive Holiday will help ensure the Sixers aren’t gone fishing in mid-April again next year.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
