Pistons' young stud is ready to make his presence felt in a major way

The Pistons had a disappointing loss in the season opener against the Chicago Bulls, but Ron Holland II was one of the few bright spots throughout the game. In his 27 minutes of action, Holland stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Holland was everywhere on the court and is quickly proving that he deserves a bigger role this season.

Ron Holland II was one of the best Pistons in the season opener

Holland's well-rounded stat line had a tremendous impact for the Pistons. He and Isaiah Stewart helped lead the Pistons back from a 23-point deficit with defensive playmaking and fastbreak scoring. Their intensity on both ends of the court was infectious and inspired better focus for the rest of the team.

As usual, Holland was devastating attacking the rim in transition. He had multiple baskets on the fastbreak, even when taking it at multiple defenders by himself. His athleticism was on full display all night, including a poster dunk over Jalen Smith.

But it's clear that Holland isn't just an energy guy anymore. He was able to create for himself and others with an improved handle that allowed him to get by defenders. Both in the open floor and the halfcourt, he had impressive dribble combinations that weren't in his bag last season. The Pistons struggled with offensive creation in general, but Holland looked like one of the best ball-handling options on the team besides Cade Cunningham.

He even hit a big three to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Holland finished 1-of-4 from three (really 1-of-3 with a heave at the end of the game), but looked fluid in his shot and did a good job taking open threes without forcing them. His jumper will be another big swing skill that can affect his ceiling and the team's success tremendously.

Ron Holland's impact was seen on the scoreboard too. The Pistons were a +2 in his minutes, a very rare positive figure among Pistons with significant minutes logged in this game. The other two notable positives were Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson. When all three were on the court together, they wrecked havoc defensively and converted quick buckets on the other end.

Ron and Ausar were very excited during the offseason to share the court as the "9-to-5" duo, but fans questioned the spacing with both on the floor. So far, they have shown that the spacing concerns are a moot point due to the incredible defense that they bring and both players' effectiveness as slashers.

Individually, Ron Holland is proving that he is capable of handling a big role for the Pistons. It was not just his production, but his clear improvement in pretty much every skill, that makes him such a tempting breakout candidate.