There are players who make an instant and noticeable impact as soon as they enter the game, and Ron Holland II has a chance to be that guy for the Detroit Pistons.
Last year, I’d argue the “agent of chaos” role was played by Paul Reed, who didn’t play every game but seemed to make instant impact every time he did. Reed just does things, whether it’s getting his hand on a ball for a deflection, blocking a shot and then running the other way for a dunk or making one of his unorthodox shots around the rim.
Reed is now the full-time backup center, and he could pass the torch to Holland, whose box score in the first preseason game pretty much summed up his role for the team, both good and bad.
Ron Holland puts up a wild box score in the Pistons’ first preseason game
JB Bickerstaff unleashed Holland in the first preseason game, and we got to see a bit of everything, both positive and negative.
Holland led the team in minutes (24) and points (14) but shot the ball poorly and only hit 4-of-12 shots overall, including one of his four 3-point attempts.
The shots weren’t falling, but the process was good, and Holland did manage to get to the free-throw line eight times, mostly by attacking the rim on close outs, which was nice to see.
I expect Holland’s shooting numbers to go up this season, and while it’s still a work in progress, it was good to see him find ways to score even when his shot wasn’t falling.
Holland added four rebounds, including three on the offensive end, which is a way he can make a big impact without shooting. Holland is uber athletic and has great size for a wing, so we could see a big leap in rebounding from him, especially on the offensive end, where he averaged just over one per game last year.
Holland also had a ridiculous five steals and two blocks, which are the areas he can really make an impact as an agent of chaos, but his three turnovers show what can happen when that chaos is out of control.
After not playing much in the playoffs, I am certain that no one in the building was more excited to get back to work than Holland, who came into the game last night like he was shot out of a cannon.
It’s not always pretty, but Holland definitely puts his mark on the game, and as he starts to rein it in and hit a few more shots, we will hopefully see him evolve into a more well-rounded wing who doesn’t have to rely solely on energy and hustle to make a difference.
Add us as a preferred source on Google