Aaron Holiday 'Huge' for Houston Rockets, Says Ime Udoka

“He’s been huge,” Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka said via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 10, 2023

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are due for a potential lineup change with Amen Thompson returning to the team this week after being away for a month with an ankle injury. Aaron Holiday has been the main contributor in Thompson's absence, and he's made a massive difference for the Rockets this season.

“He’s been huge,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “When we talked to him in free agency, what we loved about him was he’s always prepared, very professional, another guy that complements the group well, on or off the ball. The shooting ability, obviously, but the defensive tenacity, too. Just a guy that’s been through every situation, start if you need him to, or obviously be a great backup as he is now."

Aaron Holiday Keegan Murray Kings — Aaron Holiday / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Holiday, 27, is averaging 7.4 points per game in his first season with the Rockets. He's been a strong scorer in the past eight games, scoring at least seven points in every contest, including a season-high 22 in last Wednesday's win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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With Thompson set to return soon from his injury, it's likely that Holiday's role will see a reduction. However, he's played well enough in his absence to prove that he needs to be in Udoka's rotation moving forward.

How will that look? That's for Udoka to answer in the coming days and weeks.

Holiday and the Rockets are back in action tonight when the San Antonio Spurs come to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT from Toyota Center.

Published Dec 10, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.