Ron Holland II is entering a critical third season of his career, and he will be under a microscope early in the season.
That has already started, with fans looking for signs of development in his shooting and handles, and it’s been a mixed bag so far in a tiny preseason sample size.
Holland hasn’t shot the ball particularly well, hitting 44 percent of his shots and just 16 percent of his 3-pointers, which means nothing in a three-game sample where a few shots could radically change things.
I don’t think we can expect Holland to make a massive leap as a shooter, but there are other ways he can contribute, and he’s shown two of them so far in the preseason.
Ron Holland getting to the line and to the offensive glass
I feel like I have to keep adding the small sample-size disclaimer, so here it is once again, but Holland has found alternative ways to score and averaged 10 points per game so far in three preseason contests.
He’s done it by getting to the line for 4.3 attempts per game, which is more than double his average from last season. Holland was an 80 percent free-throw shooter last year, so taking it to the rack strongly and drawing fouls can be a weapon for him.
And after grabbing two more last night in just 15 minutes, Holland has averaged 2.3 offensive rebounds per game so far in the preseason, again, double his average from last year.
Holland looks to have made offensive rebounding more of a priority, as he’s been crashing the offensive glass hard and getting results. With his size and athleticism, this is another area where he can pick up points without having to take jumpers or create off the bounce.
We all want to see improvement in Holland’s shooting, but there are other ways he can make an impact on offense.
The clock is ticking on Ron Holland in Detroit
The Pistons have until the end of the month to exercise Holland’s team option, and while I do think they will do it, it isn’t a no-brainer decision, as his salary will jump up to $11.5 million next season.
Teams are not giving project players endless time to develop anymore as we’ve seen recently with guys like Rob Dillingham and Zaccharie Risacher, high draft picks who have already been traded, and in the case of Dillingham, may not even be in the league.
Holland’s team option is one hurdle, but then he has the trade deadline, and as of right now, Holland is one of the players the Pistons could look to move if they try to add star power for a playoff run.
It’s not completely fair to Holland, who is still so young, but the Pistons are trying to win now and don’t have unlimited developmental minutes for him, which is why it’s important for Holland to establish himself as an important part of the rotation early, or he may not finish the season in Detroit.
Add us as a preferred source on Google