Ron Holland II is already a hard worker who plays with an edge, but he’ll be extra motivated this summer after he failed to make the NBA All-Rookie team.
It’s not surprising, as Holland didn’t shoot the ball well or put up the kind of counting stats that get national attention.
But Pistons fans know he played a meaningful role on a playoff team as an energy guy off the bench who often helped changed the tone and pace of the game along with bench mates Isaiah Stewart and Malik Beasley.
Most of the players who did make the All-Rookie team had much larger roles on bad teams, while Holland was getting 15 minutes off the bench for the eventual 6th seed in the Eastern Conference.
Holland will be eager to prove that the voters got it wrong.
Ron Holland II is primed for a big leap
Holland’s rookie season was the best-case scenario, as he was able to get meaningful minutes on a good team without being overexposed or forced into a role for which he wasn’t ready, a luxury that was not afforded the Pistons’ rookies that came before him.
Holland was eventually benched in the playoffs, but still got some meaningful experience, so you can’t ask for much more out of his rookie year, as many predicted he would spend at least some of it in the G-League.
He’s still a teenager and will have his first full offseason as an NBA pro, so we could see a big physical transformation in Holland in just one offseason. More muscle means more finishing around the rim and greater ability to defend larger players.
He’ll also have a full offseason with shooting guru Fred Vinson, so we could see a big leap from Holland as a shooter. He has smooth form, but only shot 23.8 percent from long range, so will need to improve in that area, especially if he is going to share the floor with Ausar Thompson, whose shooting looks much less hopeful.
Holland is one of the reasons the Pistons have more evaluating to do before they make a big move, as they need a better understanding of what all of these players can be, and Holland has the most room for growth as a player who won't turn 20 until July.
Until that growth happens, this pick will be debated, as the Pistons added an athletic, non-shooting wing defender to a roster that already had one, but Holland will be extra motivated to show that he can be the two-way wing the Pistons need.