After all, he is just a substitute with a basic salary, and the Rockets cannot expect him to show off his power?

In a previous NBA Cup game, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Houston Rockets at home 112-109 after a hard-fought battle. After this game, the Nuggets, who had won two consecutive victories, improved their record to 12 wins and 3 losses, and their ranking continued to rank second in the Western Conference; while the Rockets, who ended their five-game winning streak, saw their record drop to 10 wins and 4 losses, and their ranking also dropped directly to fifth place in the Western Conference.

In this game, the performance of the Rockets' substitute backcourt player Aaron Holiday (Aaron Holiday) was not ideal. Compared with the previous game, he was completely different. Holiday played 13 minutes and 29 seconds, making 0 of 3 shots, 0 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, and 1 of 1 free throws. He scored 1 point on free throws alone and had 1 foul. His plus-minus value was +3. Holiday did not show his touch on the offensive end, his scoring ability and shooting ability did not come into play, he also did not show any passing ability and organizational ability, and his performance on the defensive end also obviously lacked highlights. Holiday did not play the role he should have played in this game at all, and it can be said that he made no contribution on the court. Of course, Holiday is just a substitute player with limited playing time and limited ball rights. It is unrealistic to expect him to display his characteristics in every game.

In the NBA regular season last season, Holiday played a total of 62 times in 82 games, averaging 12.8 minutes per game. He averaged 5.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He also had 0.6 turnovers and 1 foul. He shot 43.7% from the field, 39.8% from the three-point range, and 82.9% from the free throw line. In the playoffs, Holiday only got a total of 3 playing opportunities, averaging 9.1 minutes per game, averaging 4 points, 0.7 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.3 turnovers and 1 foul. He shot 40% from the field, 40% from the three-point range, and 50% from the free throw line. Since the start of this season, Holiday has played 9 times in the first 14 games, averaging 10.1 minutes per game. He averages 5.8 points, 0.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game. He also has .6 turnovers and 0.9 fouls. His field goal percentage is 53.6%, three-point shooting percentage is 42.1%, and free throw percentage is 93.3%.

In the team's previous victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Holiday was simply unstoppable. He made 5 of 7 shots, 3 of 5 from behind the three-point line, and 5 of 5 free throws in 19 minutes and 16 seconds of playing time. He scored 18 points and 1 steal. He also committed 2 fouls and had a plus-minus value of +6. His 14 points in the last quarter of the game was a key factor in the team's victory. But after all, Holiday is just a player with a minimum salary contract, and it is unrealistic to expect him to complete most of the things in every game. For the Rockets, how to better use Holiday may also be a potential problem.