2024 NBA Draft: Ron Holland Drops 21 Points In Season Debut

G League basketball has officially started up, and the Ignite had their first taste of action yesterday. How did projected No. 1 pick Ron Holland fare?

G League Ignite made their season debut yesterday versus the Ontario Clippers Friday, losing in a tough game, 109-102.

Ignite was down 13 points heading into halftime and it seemed as if they made an emphasis to give Ron Holland the ball, especially in the fourth quarter when he went absolutely off.

Holland was extremely quiet in the first half but ended up sparking a comeback with his tenacious defense and slashing ability. The projected No. 1 pick showed why he has a lot of hype around his name as a lot has to do with his elite defensive versatility. The 6-foot-8 forward can do a lot of elite things defensively.

His ability to defend out on the perimeter at his size is quite unique as the combination of his lateral quickness, size and smarts allows him to make a lot of ball-handlers uncomfortable. And he was able to force multiple turnovers throughout the game due to his ability to guard in space. Despite Holland not having the most bulky frame, he’s still able to hold his own inside the painted area due to his length, defensive instincts and toughness down low.

Holland is a very switchable defender that can comfortably defend up and down a lineup and he showed that yesterday. Offensively he still has some areas he needs to clean up but the slashing prowess he possesses is quite impressive. In the fourth quarter he converted on floaters and multiple difficult layup attempts which is what really helped Ignite crawl back into the game.

Tyler Smith is another prospect on this Ignite roster that deserves a lot of credit for helping keep his team close in the game. Smith was able to shoot eight for nine from the field while dropping in four threes, 22 points and three blocks. Smith played for OTE last year on the Cold Hearts. Speaking of stats, Holland finished the game with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The projected number one pick has a long season ahead of him to show night in and night out why he should be the number one pick but in a draft like this year, the number one pick will ultimately come down to which teams land the number one overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft lottery.

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