Rookie Ron Holland Subtly Thriving for Detroit Pistons

Detroit’s top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft has quietly improved already in the early season.

Nov 13, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ron Holland II (00) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Prior to the 2024 NBA Draft, forward Ron Holland was thought of to be slipping. But in a surprise move, the Detroit Pistons grabbed him with the No. 5 pick, cementing him as a part of their growing core.

Now, the Pistons are showing massive improvement with Cade Cunningham at the helm, and Holland hasn’t been able to produce at the level of the team’s former picks. But he’s still been a positive contributor in limited minutes.

That was highlighted in the team’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, where in just 13 minutes, Holland added 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting, four rebounds and one steal and block apiece in finishing with a +14 plus-minus off the bench.

His intensity and energy was much-needed off the bench, garnering timely buckets with nice athleticism and clamping down on the defensive end with tenacity. And its been a trend lately.

In the six games prior to Monday night’s bout with Los Angeles, Holland bolstered his stat line to 8.8 points per game on 68% shooting from the field, adding 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and half a steal per game. In that same span, he even shot 46% from beyond the arc on low volume.

That was, of course, bolstered by a 26-point performance against the Boston Celtics, where he shot 11-for-14 overall. But Holland has shown an obvious improvement on his overall game, too.

While the stats haven’t necessarily been eye-popping this season, Holland has been an impactful piece for the Pistons. And he’s likely earned his chance to produce even more moving forward.

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