The Pistons have gotten numerous surprise contributions from role players during their current 9-game winning streak, but Ron Holland II has been disappointing. Along with Duncan Robinson, Holland is one of the only Pistons in the regular rotation who has remained healthy throughout the win streak. But he’s been unable to assert himself offensively in spite of increased opportunity and the absence of other scoring options.
Holland’s offense continues to lag
This season, Holland is averaging 9 points per game while shooting 40% from the field and 31% from three. After showing promising flashes of newfound skills with his outside shot and ball handling during Summer League, Holland has failed to translate those into the regular season. Many of the other young Pistons are seeing offensive improvements after extensive offseason work with the coaching staff, but Holland hasn't put it together yet.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Holland's slow start has been the abundance of minutes and opportunities he's gotten with players like Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris and even Cade Cunningham missing times. Even with injuries to the typical starters, Holland hasn't been able to cross double digit in scoring in the last 5 games.
A breakout from Holland offensively could have made a world of difference for the Pistons. Even during this extended win streak, they've struggled to find consistent offense outside of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. In the last two games, they've had to rely on unconventional offensive creators like two-way guard Daniss Jenkins and veteran point forward Caris LeVert.
Even in these situations, Holland hasn't been able to emerge as a scoring threat. The Pistons aren't asking him to dominate the game alongside the usual starters, but it would be ideal to have him initiate offense in the second unit and be a reliable play finisher when he does share time with starters. His scoring deficiency has created serious spacing issues when he's on the court with Duren and Thompson, although that is when the defense thrives.
Holland has excelled on the less glamorous end of the court as a defensive disruptor. He's averaging nearly two steals a game in just 24 minutes per game, and many of those takeaways do turn into fastbreak baskets for the Pistons. His contributions both locking down the perimeter and helping shut down the paint have helped return Detroit to its defensive glory days.
But Ron Holland II definitely has another level to reach as an offensive weapon. He has the potential to be a more prominent scorer, now he just needs to put it all together. Holland doesn't lack in confidence when he's on the court but the shots must start falling eventually for him to be a positive offensive contributor.