Pistons First-Rounder Reacts to Ignite Teammate Landing on Rival Team

Detroit Pistons rookie Ron Holland looks forward to competing against Matas Buzelis.

Mar 28, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American West forward Ron Holland (1) as McDonald's All American East guard Elmarko Jackson (8) defends during the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

When the Detroit Pistons went on the clock with the fifth-overall pick at the 2024 NBA Draft, they were expected to take a chance on an NBA G League Ignite prospect.

They did — but the selection was still a shock.

Most mock drafts suggested the Pistons would land Matas Buzelis, a former five-star forward out of Chicago with their top selection. Being that Detroit could use a front court upgrade, Buzelis seemed to be the best player available based on the way the chips were falling after the first four picks.

Instead, the Pistons went with G League Ignite’s Ron Holland.

The Texas-born forward was viewed as one of the best players of his high school class. ESPN ranked him as the second-best in his class, as he acquired interest from many of the top schools in the nation.

Rather than taking the NCAA route, Holland linked forces with Buzelis for one season. Now, the two G League prospects are set to become direct rivals after the way the draft played out.

With the 11th pick, the Chicago Bulls took on Buzelis.

"[I’m] Super proud of Matas,” Holland said on draft night. “Knowing the role we had to take up on Ignite and meeting him throughout high school and being able to play against him and with him in the Ignite season, first of all, I'm super proud of him just knowing and seeing the man that he is becoming. I'm really super excited to see where his NBA career goes and super excited to compete against him as well.”

The Ignite struggled to find success with Holland and Buzelis last season, but they each had impressive runs, which helped them get selected in the lottery.

For Holland, he averaged 21 points in 14 games. From the field, he drained 44 percent of his shots. In the rebounding department, he was productive with seven boards per game. Defensively, Holland averaged nearly three steals and one block.

The Pistons hope Holland can become a productive player from the jump and develop into a key rotational player for years to come. And the rookie looks forward to going from playing alongside Buzelis, to once again competing against him.

“That's going to be super exciting matchups here in the future soon,” Holland finished. “Like I said, I'm just super proud of him and I'm super excited for him.”