Pistons' Ron Holland is who we thought he was: a talented player with room for growth

Ron Holland was widely described as a “project” when Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon surprised the league — and Holland himself — by selecting him with the fifth-overall pick. 

The 19-year-old was very productive for a dysfunctional G League Ignite team, showcasing athleticism, hustle and a knack for getting to the rim and drawing fouls. At Holland’s introductory press conference, Langdon pushed back on the label. 

“I’m very, very comfortable with this young man to my left,” Langdon said June 28. “We talk about things that are really important to add to this culture, to add to this organization, to bring to the city. And whether that’s through free agency, whether that’s through trade, whether that’s through the draft, we went through an internal process on what’s important, and as I said before he checks a ton of boxes. 

“There’s a lot of things that he brings at an elite level to us right now. Yes, he has a high ceiling but I don’t think his floor is that low.”

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Summer league, notoriously, is an unreliable indicator for how good a player will be in the NBA. But through two games, the Pistons’ fifth-overall pick is proving both sides right. He has league-ready skills now, but also a lot of room for growth. And his second game on Tuesday, in a comeback win over the Chicago Bulls, had examples of both. 

Holland had a nice stat sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a steal. Five of his rebounds were on offense, and he knocked down a 3-pointer. He’s shown instincts as an off-ball scorer. But his efficiency, or lack thereof — 7-for-20 overall, 1-for-4 from 3 — reflects that he has a lot of work ahead as well. 

It’s been an early theme in Las Vegas, as he was just 5-for-15 overall against the Philadelphia 76ers in his debut on Saturday. On a Pistons team that’s often struggled to move the ball, Holland hasn’t been able to get much going on his drives.  

His athleticism when getting downhill and ability to initiate contact was a strength with the Ignite, and he took six free throws (making two) on Tuesday. But he’s had issues taking care of the ball when driving to the rim. In both games, defenders anticipated his line drives and either batted the ball away or made him uncomfortable enough to lose his handle multiple times in both games. 

The Pistons’ summer league roster lacks spacing, meaning that Holland has often had to navigate crowds in the paint. But he also has a ways to go with his handle, and ability to play through contracts. 

Even so, Holland has repeatedly found ways to generate offense. Of his seven made field goals Tuesday, four were in transition and one was off of a well-timed backdoor cut. He’s quick in the open floor and has bounce, as he showed with his poster dunk in the third quarter. 

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Those opportunities have been few and far inbetween in Las Vegas, but Holland should have an easier time attacking gaps during the regular season with better spacing (assuming the Pistons’ offseason moves improve their outside shooting) and flanked with a guard who sees the floor and commands the defense’s attention in Cade Cunningham. 

There have also been glimpses of Holland’s touch outside of the paint, which will be a key area of growth for him as he learns how to attack NBA defenses. He knocked down a floater on Saturday, and hit a pull-up midrange jumper and 3-pointer on Tuesday. 

But he only made one of his four 3-pointers, with one being a heave at the buzzer, and two of his six free throws. A 24% outside shooter in the G League, shooting is a clear area for needed growth.

It isn’t clear how his minutes will look as a rookie, with the Pistons suddenly becoming deep on the wing with the additions of Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley, and the re-signing of Simone Fontecchio. Ausar Thompson will also be in the conversation, given that he likely will be the best perimeter defender on the roster. 

The Pistons can’t afford to play too many poor shooters at once, which may force head coach J.B. Bickerstaff to make tough choices as he hunts for the right balance between defense and shot-making. They appear to be in position to not have to lean on Holland much, given his weaknesses as a shooter. In the past, rookies were essentially guaranteed big roles due to injuries and lack of depth. 

They can bring Holland along at his own pace if everything shakes right, a luxury the team hasn't had with their young players in recent seasons. Of course, there’s also the possibility that Holland seizes a role with his play, in spite of his play in Las Vegas so far. It can be difficult to glean what’s real from fake during summer league. We’ve seen players struggle only to put together strong rookie seasons, and vice versa. 

It’s too early to call it either way with Holland, of course. He has the tools. The Pistons will help him develop his game. 

“He’s going to be a hell of a player in this league and I know he’s gonna reach his potential because of his hard work and his character and the resources that we’re going to put behind him,” Langdon said at Holland's introduction. “So I have a high belief in this young man to my left, that he’s going to really impact this organization at a high level for a long period of time.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.