When a basketball player is listed at 185 pounds, he’s not someone you would expect to carry a team.
But that’s exactly what forward Justin Holiday has been doing for the Idaho Stampede.
“At the end of the day, you just need to look at his stat line,” Idaho coach Mike Peck said, referencing the box score from a recent win.
The breakdown: 24 points, eight rebounds, seven blocked shots, four steals and three assists.
“I don’t know anybody else on our team who consistently fills up the entire stat line,” Peck said. “So he can affect a lot of different aspects of the game. … He’s a multidimensional player.”
Still, it’s hard not to notice Holiday’s physique, especially his legs. They are, well, skinny. Very skinny.
“My whole body is skinny,” Holiday said. “It’s nothing new. … Of course, I’d like to be bigger, and of course I’ve worked on that, but at the same time, this is the player I am and I use my strengths to do what I do on the floor.”
At 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, Stampede forward Sean Evans is anything but skinny. But that doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate Holiday’s game.
“Justin is a lot more athletic than people think,” Evans said. “And then when they find out, it’s too late.”
Holiday is listed as 6-6, but Peck is convinced he’s taller.
“I’m telling you right now, he’s 6-7,” Peck said. “He’s as long as the day, and we all know he’s like a pogo stick. … He uses those legs for speed and quickness. He’s just gifted genetically.”
And athleticism definitely runs in the family.
“My sister plays at UCLA,” Holiday said. “My little brother is a starting guard on his high school team, and then, of course, Jrue.”
That would be Jrue Holiday, the starting point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers. Jrue is one year younger than Justin, but he was a first-round draft pick after playing one season at UCLA. Certainly that has to be annoying for Justin, who has participated in camps with the Cavaliers and Trail Blazers, but has yet to play in a regular season NBA game.
“No, I could talk about Jrue all day,” Justin said. “I’m happy for him. It’s both of our dreams (to play in the NBA), and I’m glad at least one of us can be there right now. And one day I’ll be there. I’m not worried about that.”
STAMPEDE FALL TO BAYHAWKS
Idaho was unable to string together its second three-game win streak as the Erie BayHawks won 104-89 Thursday night at Century-Link Arena.
The Stampede (6-16) trailed by one at halftime and again early in the fourth quarter, but Erie took control by outscoring Idaho 33-22 in the final frame.
Carlon Brown had a team-high 21 points and Evans notched his ninth double-double (14 points, 13 rebounds) for Idaho.
Holiday had nine points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.
Six players scored in double figures for Erie (11-8).
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