No. 5 Pick Ron Holland II to Make Debut for Pistons versus Pacers

The former Ignite forward brought the energy in the preseason for Detroit.

Oct 6, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ron Holland II (00) dribbles in the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Tonight, wing/forward Ron Holland II will debut for the Detroit Pistons in their game against the Indiana Pacers to open the regular season. The top-five pick struggled with efficiency in the preseason, but brought his brand of high-energy basketball to the floor on the defensive end and on the glass.

In 22.8 minutes per game, he averaged 7.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 stocks. While these numbers may not pop off the page, his impact was felt beyond his statistics. Against the Milwaukee Bucks, he recorded 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists, and also had a nice strip on defense that led to a fast break opportunity on which he scored.

His transition game is one of his best attributes, as he can show off his athleticism and open-court ability in these situations. The fact that his defense can lead to these chances makes for a really effective skillset, especially for a team that has struggled to create offensive opportunities over the last few years.

Holland's biggest problem, however, is his inability to shoot the three – he connected on just one of his nine attempts from beyond the arc this preseason, which is partially due to the lack of spacing displayed by Detroit. Simply put, they have very few shooters that move the needle for defenses, which means it's difficult for anyone to get a clean look.

Speaking honestly, this will likely be another difficult year for the Pistons, even with the newly acquired draft talent they have. As good as Holland is at certain things, a floor spacer he is not, at least at this moment. Jaden Ivey shot uncharacteristically well from three in Detroit's four preseason games, but other than Wendell Moore Jr., who shot well on limited attempts, no one else is a super consistent shooter from deep.

The acquisition of Tim Hardaway Jr. was done to address this in a sense, but he hit just 35.3% of his threes last year, which was below the NBA average for 2023-24 of 36.6%. As excited as fans should be at the possible wing duo of Holland and Ausar Thompson, who is struggling through health-related issues, Detroit may be picking at the top of the 2025 NBA Draft as well.

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