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(Hello everyone, Justin F. here. I know you all have anticipated me writing my take on Justin Holiday, but unfortunately the Warriors-Nuggets series hospitalized with a priapism prohibiting me from writing about Justin Holiday. However, I was able to get in contact with My Friend The Mainstream Media Sports Columnist and politely asked him if he would be willing to write this for me in my place. Being the good friend that he is, he agreed, and his words on Justin Holiday are below.)
It does not take much.
It does not take much to determine whether or not a player has a future in the NBA. And with Justin Holiday, there can be no doubt, he has a future in the NBA.
Justin Holiday, the older, less-NBA experienced brother of Sixers All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday has only played nine games with those Sixers. But in those nine games, he has proven he is a winner. A winner like Andre Iguodala is now with the Nuggets but never was with the Sixers.
A winner with passion.
A winner with heart.
A winner with grit.
A true winner who wins.
Jrue Holiday may be the All-Star, but the real key to future Sixers success is Justin Holiday. Consider the following, without Justin Holiday, the Sixers won 41% of their games. But with Justin Holiday in the line-up, the Sixers won 44% of their games. That's a 3% improvement in win percentage, and if he were given more chances, it would only grow from there.
All through their lives, Jrue Holiday has grown used to Justin being the older brother who led him through thick and thin. In basketball, it should be no different. By Justin replacing Evan Turner in the line-up, the Holiday brothers can rediscover their chemistry they had in the nine games Justin played this season and further elevate the Sixers to heights not seen since Allen Iverson.
By watching players, you can tell what guys have what stats can't tell you, the will to win. I have watched Justin Holiday for nine games, and in those nine games I saw a will to win that will serve the Sixers well in the future. On a basketball team, you need someone with the will to win to inspire his teammates and encourage them to be at their best, helping each teammate discover their very own will to win. It is amazing how at only 24-years old, Justin Holiday already has that determination and will seen in the likes of Kevin Durant, Dwayne Wade, and Andre Miller.
It is for the reasons above that I believe the Sixers should "toot" Justin Holiday. The Sixers need someone who can elevate the team to the next level, and the Sixers elevated win percentage with Justin in the line-up this season is proof he can be the man to do so. Jrue will be the face of the franchise, but maybe, just maybe, the Holiday we should all be watching is Justin.
(While I disagree with the logic and reasoning used by My Friend The Mainstream Media Sports Columnist, I agree with the overall conclusion the Sixers should decide to toot Justin Holiday. I claim no knowledge of Justin's will to win, however, his youth, inexpensiveness, and overall adorableness of him and Jrue playing together make me want to toot him and give him a whole year to see what he can do off the bench. If nothing else, it will certainly be better than seeing Damien Wilkins uselessly use up those minutes. Thanks again to My Friend The Mainstream Media Sports Columnist for filling in on such short notice.)
Previous Toots: Dorell Wright, Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner, Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson
Previous Boots: Nick Young, Royal Ivey, Lavoy Allen, Damien Wilkins, Kwame Brown, Spencer Hawes