After two seasons in the NBA, it’s still unclear what role Ron Holland II will ultimately play for the Detroit Pistons.
It makes sense, as he just turned 21-years-old, and though we didn’t know it at the time, was drafted onto a playoff team with a deep roster, so he wasn't given limitless minutes and impunity to make mistakes as a lot of top five picks that join bad teams.
That has made Holland’s role in his first two seasons inconsequential gravy, as they had the luxury of being patient and not forcing him into a job he wasn’t ready for and they didn't necessarily need him to produce.
Holland has been an agent of chaos for the Pistons, a quality defender who can come in and change the pace of the game with his defense and scoring in transition.
But he’s still a big question mark offenisvely and needs to start showing signs of what that is eventually going to look like as he enters his third season in the league.
The clock is ticking for Holland
It seems unbelievable that we’d already be talking about the timeline of a player who hasn’t even played his third season and is only recently able to buy a beer legally.
But the clock is ticking on Holland, as his rookie-scale contract starts to get expensive in 2027-28, when it will jump up to $11.5 million. That’s not chump change for a guy who was arguably far less important last season than journeyman Javonte Green.
While the Pistons don’t need Holland to become a star overnight, they do need him to start showing signs of some kind of offensive game and how he will ultimately fit with the rest of their young core.
Is he is a 6th Man? A guy who can score 15-20 a game? A defensive specialist? A 3-and-D wing?
That is where things get tricky for Ron Holland.
Maximizing Holland with Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson
The Pistons already have one great wing defender who can’t shoot in Ausar Thompson, who is not only a better defender than Holland, but is better at everything else as well.
The problem the Pistons face is that they can’t currently keep Thompson and Holland on the floor at the same time because of the spacing issues it creates.
If Holland were to start knocking down 3-point shots at a high rate, this would cease to be a problem, but if he doesn’t, these two are a bit redundant and it’s not going to be Thompson that gets shipped out if that continues.
Again, Holland doesn’t need to be prime Klay Thompson, but he has to show signs of an improved shot this season, or his long-term fit is a question.
Holland could also develop a dribble drive game, but that seems far less likely, so hitting 3’s is the best way he can maximize his fit with Cunningham and Thompson.
You don’t draft a guy 5th overall to be a career bench player, so if Holland doesn’t start revealing a player that is either a long-term fit or has long-term star potential, it’s possible the Pistons will rethink his place on the roster.
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