Trajan Langdon Opens up on Pistons Drafting Ron Holland

Pistons reacts to selecting G-League Ignite forward at No. 5.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ron Holland II shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Detroit Pistons in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday night, Trajan Langdon made his first selection as the President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons. He ended up shocking everyone at No. 5 by taking G-League Ignite forward Ron Holland.

The Pistons were tied to a player on Ignite, but it was Holland's teammate Matas Buzelis. Instead, Langdon went with the young versatile forward. Holland, still only 18-years-old, posted averages of 19.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 2.5 SPG last season.

Following the draft, Langdon opened up on selecting Holland with the fifth overall pick. With his skill set, he believes the 6-foot-8 wing has some of the most upside of any player in the 2024 draft class.

“High, high character human being. Works his butt off. He has the leadership piece, he has the high compete level piece, he has the winner piece to him,” Langdon said of Holland. “He’s got one of the biggest upsides of anyone in the draft.”

Langdon also touched on an interaction he had with Holland back at the draft combine in Chicago. Holland compared himself to the likes of Mikal Bridges and Jaden McDaniels, which Langdon liked to hear.

“His end-to-end speed, his size for the position, compete level, big-time rebounder at his position – we all think he’ll be able to guard one through four, which he wants to do,” Langdon said. “He was asked to do more (with the Ignite) and that’s one thing he did say. When we interviewed him in Chicago, he said, ‘I understand what my role is. I understand who I am as a player.’ The people he compared himself to – Jaden McDaniels, Jaylen Brown, Mikal Bridges – they came in as defensive players first. He knows who he is, which is huge at 18, 19 years old.”

With the addition on Holland, Detroit adds another versatile two-way wing to their young core. Despite his lack of shooting, the Pistons continue to build a core built to thrive in the modern NBA.