2. Justin Holiday
Back for his second stint in Chicago after signing a two-year, $8.9 million deal this summer, Justin Holiday is the veteran option for the Bulls at small forward. Holiday spent the 2015-16 season in Chicago, and averaged 6.5 points per game.
A strong showing late in that season landed him a deal with the Knicks for 2015-16, when he averaged 7.7 points per game.
Holiday, 28, joins a significantly younger Bulls squad as one of the team’s veterans. Most of the older players on the roster–such as Wade and Lopez–are likely starters.
What he does well
Although he’s never averaged double-digit points, Holiday is a particularly efficient scorer. He had a true shooting percentage of 54.9 last season, with more than half of his shot attempts coming from beyond the 3-point line, from where he shot at a 35.5 percent clip.
He’s a solid reserve who will hit open shots, keep the ball moving on offense and play better-than-advertised defense.
What he doesn’t do well
Holiday has never averaged more than 20 minutes per game, and has started just 13 of 203 career games. Can he be more than just a respectable bench player? Some guys are best off the bench and in limited doses.
While Holiday is unspectacular, playing him heavy minutes could shine light on some of his weaknesses. Can he hold up defensively against opposing, starting wings? Can opponents take advantage of his slight frame (6-6, 185)?
Holiday may be best off the bench as a 2-guard, rather than a starting small-ball 3.