After playing four years of college basketball at the University of Washington, Justin Holiday’s professional career did not take the ideal path. He was undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft and then was forced to play overseas and the D League. In the NBA, he had short stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trailblazers, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
This time, it’s looked like he’s found a home in the Bay Area. In the final round of cuts, Holiday claimed the 15th roster spot with the Warriors. The Warriors congratulated Holiday on Twitter:
Guard Justin Holiday (@JustHolla22) solidifies his spot on the #Warriors 2014-15 roster. #DubNation pic.twitter.com/5dvaISnbU2
— Golden St. Warriors (@warriors) October 25, 2014
After the final pre-season game versus the Denver
Nuggets, the Warriors announced that Holiday would be the only free agent to make the roster. Unfortunately, that meant the end of the line for other hopefuls: Aaron Craft, Mitchell Watt, James Michael McAdoo, Sean Kilpatrick, and Jason Kapono.
Kilpatrick and Kapono had short runs with the team while Craft, Watt, and McAdoo were playing with the Warriors since the Las Vegas Summer League. In fact, Kilpatrick never even had a chance to see the floor. Most of these players will head to Santa Cruz to play in the D League until another opportunity arises. According to Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch Craft’s agent already has confirmed that he will play in Santa Cruz:
Aaron Craft’s agent confirms he will play with Santa Cruz of NBA Developmental League. #buckbk
— Bob Baptist (@BBaptistHoops) October 25, 2014
The Warriors’ roster now hold the maximum amount of players and each have the potential to contribute. In the upcoming season, we’ll see if Holiday can crack a bench role. Holiday’s best game in the pre-season came with 18 points against the Houston Rockets. His shooting and athleticism fits this team’s description perfectly. For those who didn’t make the team, keep an eye on them in the D League.