Home run or disaster? Grade for Pistons' selection of Ron Holland
The Detroit Pistons surprised many around the NBA by selecting Ron Holland II with the 5th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Holland wasn’t a player we heard mentioned much as a possibility for Detroit, but in this draft, it wasn’t completely surprising to be surprised by the pick.
Trajan Langdon was looking to hit a home run in his first draft and clearly isn’t concerned about instant gratification, as Holland is a raw, high-upside guy who is one of the youngest players in the class.
New entries to the Pistons all-time draft bust starting lineup. dark. Related Story. New entries to the Pistons all-time draft bust starting lineup
The opinions on this pick tend to go to the extremes, as some applaud Langdon for taking a chance on a potential star, while others have already declared Holland a bust.
It will take time to know what the Pistons have in Ron Holland
It always amazes me how people who have never seen a prospect play can instantly declare they were the wrong choice and will be a bust. My timeline was littered with these basketball Nostradamuses today, who should probably be out buying lottery tickets with all of their foresight.
Calling Holland “another Stanley Johnson” is just a lazy take (one I've heard about 8 million times already), especially when most of these people have never even seen Holland play and are going by box score stats from 46 shots he took in the G-League as an 18-year-old.
Many fans wanted the instant gratification of a player who was a clear fit, usually a shooter because “HOLLAND CAN’T SHOOT!” These same fans would be crying foul in 3-4 years when Dalton Knecht turns out to be Doug McDermott when the “PISTONS COULD HAVE DRAFTED A STAR!”
See: Kennard, Luke vs. Mitchell, Donovan for a recent example.
A 14-win team can’t reach for need, and if you want Kennard, he’s very available. Mitchell is a superstar for another team because he couldn't shoot and wasn't a good fit for the Pistons, remember?
But I get the frustration, as no one wants to hear about development and long-term goals when the team hasn’t been good since Obama was president.
For these grades, I am going to look at both concerns and try to reconcile the timeline with the potential. Don’t worry, misery brigade, I’ve got something for you.