Ron Holland inefficient but still effective as Pistons beat Bulls in summer league, 85-77

A day after resting the first half of a summer league back-to-back, Ron Holland returned and helped lead the Detroit Pistons to a second-straight comeback win.

The Pistons defeated the Chicago Bulls, 85-77, to improve to 2-1 in summer league. They trailed by 16 in the first half but took control in the third quarter with a 20-2 run. On Monday, they trailed the Houston Rockets by double-digits, as well. Holland, as well as second-round pick Bobi Klintman and undrafted big man Jayce Johnson, were instrumental in the successful comeback bid.

Holland, after shooting 5-for-15 overall in his debut, was only 7-for-20 on Tuesday, but he otherwise was productive with 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a steal. Johnson, a seven-foot center from Marquette, led the team with 18 points. Klintman added five points, 12 rebounds and three assists.

The Pistons will return to action on Friday at 7 p.m. against the New York Knicks.

MONDAY'S GAME:Unheralded rookies lead the way as Detroit Pistons stomp Rockets in summer league, 87-73

Holland inefficient-but-active in return

Holland, a former G League Ignite standout, was clearly excited to face his former teammate, 6-foot-10 forward and 14th-overall pick Matas Buzelis. He also had the green light from the coaching staff to be aggressive, as Holland was responsible for eight of their first 13 shot attempts.  

The rookie had issues in the first half, as he was once again inefficient and had a tough time converting layups. The Pistons struggled to move the ball and create transition opportunities, and Holland wasn’t able to find many clean shots as a result. But he also had growth ahead of him as a ball-handler, as he lost his handle or had the ball swatted multiple times on drives.

He was 3-for-13 overall from the floor at halftime, and two of those makes were the easiest shots he got in that span — a wide open dunk in transition, and a baseline cut that led to a layup. The other shot was a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, his first make from deep in Vegas after going 0-for-2 on Saturday. Otherwise, Holland repeatedly tried to navigate traffic.

Amid the Pistons’ inability to move the ball (they had 11 turnovers and nine assists in the first half), Holland went scoreless in the second quarter. A half-hook over the top of the Bulls’ defense fell short, and he wasn’t able to convert the follow-up layup attempt. 

He and Bulls guard DJ Steward were called for double techs after Holland missed a layup, got the rebound and was fouled by Steward on the second attempt. Holland took issue with the foul, and the two exchanged words. Frustration appeared to be building, but the second half was kinder to the rookie. 

Holland got his first highlight in Vegas with a two-handed transition poster dunk on Bulls forward Henri Drell late in the third, once again taking advantage of the open floor. He didn’t have to wait long for his next bucket, as he knocked down a pull-up jumper from midrange with 44 seconds on the clock. 

His final two buckets of the night were also in transition, putting the finishing touches on the comeback win. It was ultimately another well-rounded stat sheet for Holland, despite his inefficiency. He has a nose for the ball and grabbed the second-most rebounds on the time, five of them on offense. One of his late buckets resulted from a steal he created.

Summer league is far from an accurate predictor of future success. The rookie, through two games, has had moments but is still hunting for his first standout game on offense. 

Klintman’s strong passing continues

He finished the night with three assists, but he probably should’ve had at least six. On a night Klintman wasn’t as aggressive in looking for his shot, the 6-foot-9 forward still shined by grabbing a team-high 12 rebounds, and standing out as a playmaker on a night the Pistons often had issues moving the ball. 

Klintman had two highlight-worthy passes. The first was a drive and overhead one-handed pass to Johnson, who made the layup. The second was a behind-the-back dish to Holland in the closing minutes of the game that got him a transition layup, which he made on the second try after missing the first and grabbing his own rebound. 

The Pistons’ 37th pick never averaged more than an assist per game in college and in Australia, but he’s been one of their most effective passers through three games. 

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