The Doubts Surrounding Polarizing NBA Draft Prospect Ron Holland

NBA teams should keep this in mind before investing in Holland.

Mar 28, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American West forward Ron Holland (1) in action during the first half against the McDonald's All American East at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into this season, Ron Holland was the second-ranked prospect of the 2023 high school class. Coming out of Duncanville, the 6-foot-7 wing was heralded and projected atop the 2024 draft. However, after an up-and-down season for G League Ignite, opinions and projections regarding Holland are all over the place. Many still believe he’s the top prospect he was once commonly seen as, while others have cooled down on him, viewing him as a non-lottery prospect at this point. While it’s intriguing to bet on the 18-year-old’s future improvements, there are a plethora of basketball doubts teams must consider before investing in Holland.

For one, Holland brings the speed of a fearsome rim slasher, but he lacks the surrounding skills to leverage this athleticism into consistent, quality rim pressure. His handle is very loose, often deterring him from accelerating fully on drives, and rarely creating driving angles. Additionally, he lacks the strength in his sub-200 pound frame to carve space with his frame. Furthermore, he doesn’t possess the vertical explosiveness or finishing touch to score well through traffic around the rim. 

Given his burst and long frame, there’s still value in betting in Holland’s slashing ability, but he’ll have to clear a number of obstacles in his development to become proficient in this area. He’s still ways away from adding any creation value in the half-court.

The other big concern with Holland comes on the defensive end. While he excels at forcing turnovers with his ground coverage and impressive motor, he’s still a questionable on-ball defender. This season, he was prone to blow-bys with late reactions to cut off drives, improper footwork, and insufficient physicality when fighting through screens or resisting attacks. Once again, given his physical tools, there’s reason to bet on Holland improving greatly in this area. However, at this point, he’s far from being the containing on-ball defender he’ll likely have to be to find NBA success.

When discussing Holland’s shortcomings, his shooting often comes up immediately. While his jumper is certainly one of the biggest question marks surrounding Holland, his slashing and on-ball defense are also pivotal improvement areas as he enters the NBA. 

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