Now I know I just wrote an article on not overreacting to Summer League performances but boy does this Ron Holland debut have me excited. Last year’s #5 overall pick, who just turned 20 a few days ago, opened his Vegas campaign with an absolutely dominant showing against the Knicks. In just 28 minutes, he totaled 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead his team to victory. He definitely looked too good for Summer League and he’s got fans fired up about his trajectory.
While I caution against putting too much stock into any individual Summer League performance, it’s always great to see a second-year player improve and dominate rookies and non-NBA players. Holland’s performance against the Knicks fits into his larger improvement curve dating back to last year’s Summer League and including growth during the season into the playoffs.
Ron Holland II shows out in Summer League for Detroit Pistons
Let’s start with the most obvious positive: Holland was an athletic force on the court and used his physical prowess to his advantage. The highlight which will gain the most attention is his incredible high-soaring putback dunk after a Tolu Smith miss, and rightfully so. Holland also used his athleticism on the defensive end with a huge block coming all the way over from the other side of the court and frequently forcing turnovers. He got out on the break to generate some easy scoring opportunities too.
Holland also showed improvement in other areas of his game which have been weaknesses in the past. He hit four threes in the game, mostly spotting up in the corner which is a role he can expect to play in the regular season. He even hit one on a step back off the dribble, which is a nice development. He looked very comfortable handling the ball in this environment and maybe will have the opportunity to do so on occasion with the Pistons main roster too.
I’m not sure if we’ll see Holland suit up again in the Summer League, but this type of growth is exactly what you want to see from a young player after their first real NBA offseason. He will be asked to play a larger role this coming season after the departure of key veterans from last year’s roster and a lack of depth at the power forward spot. This performance leaves us very optimistic that he’s ready to handle everything his sophomore season brings.