The Detroit Pistons held on for a much-needed victory against the New Orleans Pelicans last night, mostly because Ron Holland II wouldn’t let them lose.
With Cade Cunninghama and Tim Hardaway Jr. out and Ausar Thompson relegated to the bench in foul trouble, Holland played a team-high 36 minutes and finished the game with 26 points, six assists, five rebounds, a steal and zero turnovers.
Holland became the first teenager to ever post a 25/5/5 with no turnovers, at least according to Malik Beasley, who was giving his rookie props after the game.
It was the perfect time for Holland to step up, and he did it the only way he has all season, which is through effort and hustle. Holland was on the floor all night diving for loose balls, coming up with stealsa and deflections and making great choices at the rim. Every time the Pelicans threatened last night, Holland made some kind of play to hold them off.
He’s a very good finisher with just enough late lateral movement to skate past defenders and get to the rim, but last night he also showed off the passing when the shots weren’t there.
Shout out to Marcus Sasser, who continues to produce when called upon even though he never knows when that is going to be. His 20 points were crucial to avoiding another bad loss, as the Pistons have already had a couple of them recently against Washington and a severely shorthanded Dallas team.
But it was Ron Holland’s night and watching how he has continued to get better has made me place him into a debate that will help define the Pistons’ near-term future.
Who is the Detroit Pistons’ second-best player?
All-Star Cade Cunningham is clearly the Pistons’ best player unless you are one of the weirdos on Facebook who even now won’t give him any credit.
But his #2 is open to debate, as Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson have all looked the part at times but still have big holes in their respective games.
I have long assumed it will be Ausar Thompson, as he’s already a very good defender, and once he grows in his playmaking and finishing, he’s going to be a force.
But are we sure it’s not Ron Holland?
Holland may not be as good a defender as Ausar just yet, but he’s not far off and has the same kind of intensity on the ball as well as the ability to flash into passing lanes or come out of nowhere for blocks.
Thompson is a little bigger and likely more versatile, but Holland is already very good on that end too and only going to get better.
Offensively, Holland is already a more creative finisher around the rim than Ausar and looks like a guy who will eventually knock down 3-point shots with more regularity, as his shot form is solid. Thompson rarely takes them.
Both guys are forces of nature in transition and play their butts off.
Holland is only 19 years old and already plays with a confidence that betrays his age, and we saw last night what he can do when he is given more minutes and opportunities on offense.
He’s also played in all 72 games so far this season and has a chance to be one of a handful of players in the league who plays in every game.
Ultimately, this is a great thing, as the Pistons have two wings who look like future stars, both of them are already good but nowhere near their peak as players yet.