The Pistons are off to their best start in decades, and Ron Holland II has been an underrated driving force of the success. Holland has consistently been a spark off the bench who embodies Detroit's team culture. His strong impact has even made the Pistons forget about the veteran wings they lost in the offseason.
Ron Holland II's impact goes beyond the numbers
Holland is a great representation of the Pistons' most important attributes: depth and defense. The team's excellent coaching has gotten the most out of every player and created a dominant defense. Holland's role in these advantages can't be overstated; he's a disruptive defender willing to guard any position and has surprising offensive skills too.
On paper, Holland is not a very impressive player. He's averaging 8 points per game while shooting just 41% from the field and 27% from three. He doesn't necessarily jump out on the stat sheet and his efficiency has been very subpar. But Holland's strong defense and downhill aggression has gotten him playing time over better shooters because of his hidden impact.
Holland's most significant statistical contribution is steals. He averages 1.6 steals per game (9th in the entire NBA) in just 21 minutes per game. It's a testament to his defensive activity and constant effort. Even outside of his steals, Holland is a game-changer on defense with his high motor and sneaky size. At 6'8" he's capable of guarding bigs at times but still quick enough to switch out onto guards.
And when the Pistons do force a miss or turnover, Holland is one of the first guys trying to turn it into quick points. He's relentless attacking the paint, especially in transition. This leads to scoring opportunities either for himself or teammates. When he takes the shot himself, Holland has an intriguing layup package highlighted by a flashy Eurostep to get around defenders.
Whenever Holland sees the court, his activity stands out. He lives up to the Pistons' reputation for grit and hustle by constantly fighting for rebounds on both ends and diving for loose balls with no hesitation. At times, it's gotten him in foul trouble but that cost is worth it for the positive impact he usually brings.
As coach JB Bickerstaff pointed out, the most impressive part of Holland's impact is arguably his age. He's still just 20 years old and rapidly growing both physically and in his skills. As he matures, Holland is sure to develop more with his handle and shot, making him a more deadly offensive weapon. He's already have an outsized and underappreciated (at least by national media) impact. With further skill development and his continued two-way aggression, Holland can become a sneaky star for the Pistons.