In the NBA regular season, the Rockets defeated the Lakers 135-119 at home. In this game, Aaron Holiday was DNP in this game and did not get playing time. Statistically, this is Holiday has suffered a DNP for the first time since Oct. 29, 2023, and he has played in all 42 games of the Rockets prior to this game.
Truth be told, Aaron Holiday is a good player who plays bravely, has a reliable three-point shot, and is tough on the defensive end. But, to be honest, his height is a hard injury. At only 1.83 meters, he suffers a lot on the defensive end, especially when he partners with VanVleet, the Rockets' double-short lineup is directly to give points to the opponent. Although Van Vleet also defended well, the defensive effect was miserable. Forget about the No. 1 defense, once you switch to other positions of the opponent or even interior players, there is basically only one way to foul.
But even so, Udoka still treats him as his own son, giving him playing time in every game, even if he is beaten into a sieve on the court, and is unwilling to give Amen Thompson more time. In the Rockets' overtime loss to the Trail Blazers, it was because of the last 1 of the game's regular time6 seconds, in the face of the situation that the Trail Blazers could only shoot three points, Udoka actually sent Holiday and Van Vliet, two guards who were less than 1.9 meters tall, and finally Grant threw a tie three points above Van Vliet's head. It's not that Holiday is bad, it's that he's really not suitable to partner with VanVleet, otherwise the Rockets' backcourt defense is really full of holes.
This time, Udoka was able to kill his relatives in a righteous way, and it was a good change to not let Aaron Holiday play. In fact, it is possible to take advantage of the characteristics of Holiday three-point accuracy and use it as a surprise soldier, maybe the effect will be better!