The Detroit Pistons raised plenty of eyebrows when they selected Ron Holland II with the 5th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
It was Trajan Langdon’s first choice as newly anointed team president and he didn’t play it safe, taking a raw player with a ton of upside.
Holland will enter the NBA under different circumstances and with different expectations than other recent Pistons’ rookies, as he isn’t guaranteed to be in the starting lineup or even in the rotation at the beginning of the season.
Going back to 2020, the Pistons have routinely thrown rookies into the starting five with little to no competition and have allowed them to make egregious errors with impunity.
That should change with Holland, who won’t be guaranteed anything and will have to earn minutes the old-fashioned way. Impatient fans may not like it, but Holland’s rookie season could develop slowly for the Pistons.
Realistic expectations for Ron Holland’s rookie season
It would be great if Holland was so good in training camp that the Pistons had no choice but to play him right away, but given he just turned 19, he is bound to have a rocky start, especially shooting the ball and Detroit won't have time to waste.
The Pistons have a brutal early schedule, so coach Bickerstaff will likely choose to prioritize veterans to try and avoid an early hole, which would mean putting Holland on the backburner and possibly into the G-League.
He’ll be primarily competing for minutes against Ausar Thompson, Simone Fontecchio and Tim Hardaway Jr., all players who have an advantage.
Holland’s game is similar to Thompson's, but Ausar is more athletic and has already proven himself to be a good defender. It will be hard to keep him out of the starting lineup.
Both Fontecchio and Hardaway Jr. are far better shooters, and with shooting being made a priority around Cade Cunningham, they are going to get the nod over Holland, at least early on.
Holland may be out of the rotation early or getting scant minutes, which could mean a spell in the G-League. I’d expect Holland to make a few trips there, which isn’t the worst thing, as he’ll get more time and reps to work on the things he needs to improve.
This is how Houston used Amen Thompson last season. He spent time in the G-League and by the end of the season was playing a big role, so it’s not the end of the world if Holland doesn’t play right away.
The trade deadline will determine Holland’s playing time
Holland will get a chance to be in the rotation next season depending on how the Pistons handle their trade deadline.
If they are out of it and decide to move both Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. for whatever they can get, then Holland is the most likely beneficiary of those minutes.
If the Pistons are close to the play-in (which isn’t out of the question), it’s still likely they move THJ, so Holland will see more playing time either way.
Even if the Pistons kept both of them, Holland will be getting rotation minutes by the end of the season, either in a more prominent role or in a few minutes of run per game with the second unit.
For those who want instant gratification, this probably doesn’t sound all that appealing, but it will be nice for the Pistons to finally be able to develop a player at his own pace instead of thrusting him into a role for which he is not ready.