Ron Holland II was named to the All-Summer League second team after averaging 21.7 points, six rebounds, 2.3 assists and four steals in his three appearances.
Here is the full list of players who made the team:
First Team
- Kyle Filipowski (Jazz)
- Nique Clifford (Kings)
- David Jones-Garcia (Spurs)
- Jordan Miller (Clippers)
- Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves)
Second Team
- Ron Holland (Pistons)
- Isaac Jones (Kings)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- Ajay Mitchell (Thunder)
- KJ Simpson (Hornets)
I’m sure Holland could have risen to the first team had he played more, but the fact that the Pistons pulled him after three games shows that they saw all they needed to see.
The truth is that no one really cares about Summer League, so while it is nice for Holland to be recognized, he has far bigger aspirations for his second season for the Pistons.
Ron Holland II’s growth is an X-Factor for the Pistons
We’ve spent a lot of time talking about what the return of Jaden Ivey could mean for the Pistons, as well as the needed improvement from Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren, but Holland is a real X-Factor after only playing 15 minutes per game last season, as he could step into a much larger role.
He’ll certainly start the season as part of a nine-man rotation that is all but set, but how much he plays will likely rely on his consistency, which I wrote about yesterday. Consistently defending without fouling (or picking up unnecessary technicals) will be key along with avoiding long droughts where he doesn't take or make many 3-point shots.
If Holland can step into a more meaningful role, the Pistons will have less concern about some of their depth issues at power forward if they can play multiple wing players at the same time, specifically Ausar Thomspon and Holland, whose defensive versatility makes up for some of the lack of size from the bench.
It seems less likely that Thompson makes the big leap as a shooter, and he is important in several other areas, so for the two to be able to share the floor, Holland will have to knock down corner 3’s at a higher rate. After shooting 47.6 percent in Summer League, there is hope that kind of improvement is coming.
The Pistons don’t have the personnel to go big, but they can use versatile wing players with size to try and run teams off the floor.
Holland doesn’t have to become a star in year two, but if he can make a leap, it will further strengthen the Pistons’ bench and give JB Bickerstaff a lot of different combinations that take advantage of his two versatile wings.