When the Detroit Pistons drafted Ron Holland II with the 5th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, there were plenty of rumblings from the fanbase.
There were many fans who wanted the Pistons to take a more polished prospect or one who could shoot, as lack of shooting and spacing were obvious concerns in the offseason and they already had a similar player in Ausar Thompson.
I hadn’t seen much of Holland, who played in the G-League, so I fell straight into wait-and-see mode when grading the pick and thought we likely wouldn’t know much after his rookie season.
We debated whether Holland would even make the rotation early on, but those debates and complaints have all but disappeared as the season progressed, as Holland just keeps getting better and carving out a bigger and more important role with the team.
Ron Holland II: Go attack
Holland’s offensive game is still a work in progress, but the Pistons don’t need him to be a scorer at this point in his career.
His role is to attack, it’s that simple.
He attacks on defense, where he puts relentless pressure on the ball, doesn’t give up anything easy and gets his hands on just about everything.
He attacks in transition like a mini-Lebron James, as he pushes through the smallest cracks in the defense and will not be denied at the rim. I love this about Holland, as he shows no fear, will try to dunk on anyone and if he sees an advantage, he tries to exploit it.
He attacks in the half court, not usually settling for the 3-pointers that are often there for him, but trying to get to the rim, where he is an acrobatic finisher.
All of this bodes well for the Pistons, who likely weren’t expecting to get key rotation minutes from a teenager, especially with the team currently headed to the playoffs.
Ron Holland and Tayshaun Prince
Ron Holland has a real Tayshaun Prince vibe going right now, though the two are very different players.
Their games aren’t the same, but Prince was a guy who wasn’t expected to make a big impact right away, but just kept quietly getting better until Detroit couldn’t keep him out of the rotation and eventually the starting lineup.
Like Holland, Prince was initially an afterthought on offense, but by his second season, Tayshaun was a full-time starter and the key part of a team that would eventually win a title.
The Pistons had the luxury of easing Holland into action, just as they did with Prince, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he were starting next season. Prince got early playoff reps that served him well in his career and hopefully Holland will get the same this season.
It’s a big deal for a teenager to be playing important rotation minutes on a playoff team, and if Holland continues to develop on the offensive end, he’ll eventually be joining Cade Cunningham on the All-Star team, as he is already a disruptive defender.