After the terrible season, the terrible draft luck and the longggggg offseason of change, Trajan Langdon and the Detroit Pistons finally got to work on Thursday with the 2024 NBA Draft. The Pistons, sitting at No. 5, may have had the surprise pick of the first round after taking G League Ignite’s Ron Holland. We dove into the pick and gave our thoughts on his fit and immediate future.
1. What was your initial reaction to the pick of Ron Holland, and how do you feel a few days later?
Sean Corp: My initial reaction was captured on YouTube for all to see. I was processing a mix of excitement and trepidation, and I think I broadcast too much of the trepidation. With some more time, it is easier for me to express my excitement. Holland was always one of my favorite picks of the draft, and a guy who I think people were way too low on because of the situation and role he found himself in on a terrible G League Ignite team. So let me state clearly — Holland was one of the few players in the draft that possessed elite skills. Those elite skills come at a prototypical size, with plenty of defensive potential and clear ability, and he’s cut from the dribble-pass-shoot mold you want out of a modern wing. But that last part, the shooting. is definitely a concern. I don’t blame any Piston fan for feeling mighty anxious after drafting yet another iffy shooter in a team bereft of shooting talent. To that I would say, you don’t let that limitation, of an 18-year-old no less, stop you from taking the best player available. Second, other players on the roster can be moved if need be. Donovan Clingan represented a plug-and-play starting center for 10 years, but Holland could be the best player in this draft, and that could be clear in three years. It’s just getting from here to there — the eternal Pistons struggle.
Laz Jackson: I loved it, and I continue to love it. Holland has been a guy I have favored all draft cycle for the Detroit Pistons; I viewed Holland as the best mix of impact and upside in the draft. The Pistons still need depth and athleticism on the wing (even after hopefully bringing back Simone Fontecchio) – as we’re seeing from the New York Knicks’ offseason and the NBA Champion Boston Celtics, you can never have too many 6’5 – 6’7 guys who can pass / dribble / shoot and defend. Holland, with the proper coaching and development, absolutely can be that type of player.
Brady Fredericksen: I was shocked, but also weirdly excited? Holland was a player I could not get a grasp on. He felt like he had some Gerald Wallace to his game, but also some Josh Jackson. I think I had him No. 9 on my personal “Big Board” for the Pistons and admitted on Wednesday that if there was one player I was expecting to be totally wrong about in a few seasons, it was him. I feel the same today, but still really hope I’m wrong about Ron and he’s a stud.
Justin Lambregtse: I was shocked at first, but I am feeling better about it a few days later. In a draft class like this with so much uncertainty, taking a swing on a guy with a lot of upside is the way to go, even if it doesn’t work out. And if he can’t get the shooting figured out, this probably won’t work out.
Wes Davenport: My initial reaction was surprise. It seemed like nobody had any idea that the Pistons had an eye for Ron Holland, so that pick was truly out of the blue. But it does make sense. High upside wing who could be a legitimate number two next to Cade if all breaks right for him. Holland was a player I was very low on early in the draft process, but he quickly grew on me as we approached the draft. I think he’s a great fit in a vacuum next to Cade Cunningham, even if the fit with the rest of the team is sketchy.
Blake Silverman: My initial reaction was a bit of shock. I didn’t think Holland was at the top of the Pistons’ board and draft buzz insinuated Holland’s stock was dropping as a whole. I guess that says something about draft week smoke!
After sleeping on it, I don’t love Holland’s fit in Detroit immediately, but I think it can work long term. I don’t like the immediate fit because I think Ron would be better suited in a more defined role with a team that has less unknown compared to the Pistons. However, I think Holland has the most upside in this draft class, which is absolutely a draft philosophy that makes sense at this point of the rebuild.
Max Strum: I was higher on Holland than most, and thus, am likely more excited about the pick than the consensus. There were players that certainly would have filled a specific need more immediately than Holland, but this is a weak draft and I think it makes an upside play that much more palatable. And given the current state of the Pistons, the new front office could not afford to be shopping for needs anyway. If Holland even approaches the neighborhood of what his ceiling is, the Pistons would have landed a potential all-star caliber player who can be a top three guy on a good team. Detroit is not landing that type of player through free agency or trades, so it makes sense to take a swing here, and try to address clear deficits like shooting and rim protection through other means. If you whiff completely on him, most people can at least understand the logic to go for it here.
2. On the surface, Holland is an interesting, if not wonky, fit alongside holdovers like Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thommpson. How do you see him slotting into the hierarchy of the roster under Langdon?
Sean Corp: Everyone is immediately seeing a clash between Ausar and Holland, but I think those players can share the floor, an easier proposition when you consider they have elite defensive upside, some ball-handling skills that can be developed, and can guard positions 1-through-4. My primary concern is the overlap between Holland and Ivey. Whereas Thompson projects as a long-term power forward, I think Holland is and always will be a wing. He possesses the same elite burst and self-creation skills as Ivey, but he’s taller and a much better defender. I think initially, Holland does not see much playing time. But as time goes on, I think the player’s time he eats into is Ivey’s.
Laz Jackson: I don’t expect Holland to start immediately, which makes the hierarchy easier to establish and enforce, in my opinion. I expect Ausar and Ron to play together in short stretches, and the hope is that in time both of those guys can shoot at an acceptable level. But the offseason has barely started in Detroit – I want to wait to see how the roster shakes out before giving too solid an answer.
Brady Fredericksen: Cade Cunningham and Ron Holland are the only players who matter right now. The rest of this core is leftovers. That’s not to say they aren’t Langdon’s type, but we truly have no idea. I’d be shocked if we end next season with the new core and the old core still together. Holland is a weird fit with Ivey and Ausar, but that fit isn’t something I’m worried about. I’m worried about one (or two or three) of them blossoming into a high-level NBA player. Trajan is a big proponent of competition. So, let the best man win.
Justin Lambregtse: I think for now he probably finds himself out of the rotation or at least in a minor role to start out. I think Langdon wants to evaluate the holdovers himself and will also add some veterans that will play. Holland is only 18, so they can take a slow approach to developing him and maybe that will work better than throwing them into the first like the last few high picks.
Wes Davenport: I think the “core” of this Pistons team is now Cade Cunningham and Ron Holland. Everybody else will either prove they belong with those two or they will be kindly asked to leave. Holland offers scoring and consistent rim pressure on the wing while being a high-effort defender and great athlete. Cade needs that. When teams send multiple at Cade, Holland can, and will, punish that. And I think that’s true even in game one next season. The rest of the roster notwithstanding, this pairing makes sense. And so that is my expectation right now. Ivey could be a great fit with Cade and Holland if he can clean up his secondary playmaking and become a more aggressive finisher at the rim. Ausar could be a great fit with that pairing if he could approach 30% from 3 while improving his finishing at the rim and ball handle. Duren could be a great fit with that pairing if he remembers that defense is a thing that matters, and then improves his rim protection as well. As far as trio’s go, I think Cade-Ivey-Holland has the most immediate efficacy. If both Ivey and Holland improve as shooters, then Ausar or Duren could fit with that trio as well! The big problem is still that Ausar and Duren can’t play together. What Langdon does with that fact will be extremely interesting.
Blake Silverman: I see Holland as a core piece next Cade, and only Cade, without seeing Holland play his first NBA game. The next name in the roster hierarchy would be Thompson for me. Modern rosters are centered around 6’6” to 6’8” guys with plus wingspans who can defend and ideally shoot the ball, too. You may never get the latter with Thompson, but hopefully you get at least a league average shooter with Holland, which gives him the edge for me.
Max Strum: Shooting is going to be important, and I’d hope that they can target some cheap shooting options in free agency such as a guy like Gary Harris. Holland and Ausar are going to be almost exclusively playing staggered from one another, minus maybe a lineup with Ausar functioning as a small ball five for a short stretch here and there. Regardless, with those two and Ivey, it is imperative that two out of the three develop into at least average shooters from behind the long line. Ideally, one flirts with thirty eight to forty percent. But if two of them aren’t at least hitting league average from deep, hierarchy is irrelevant. Someone will be finding a new home in the next couple of years in that version of the story.
3. What’s your realistic expectation for Holland this season?
Sean Corp: Holland’s job this year is to create some havoc in some bench lineups with Ausar Thompson and spend a lot of time in the gym (and in the G League, maybe) learning how to fix his shooting mechanics. Whatever Fred Vinson wants, Fred Vinson gets. I don’t have any expectations on a starting role for Holland or even a permanent slot in the rotation. In 2021, Trey Murphy and Jose Alverado played just over 800 minutes their rookie years. The next year, Dyson Daniels played just over 1000. Obviously, the Pelicans were a more competitive roster, but I think it’s a signal that there is no clear mandate in a Langdon-led team that rookies see a baptism by fire. Assuming most, if not all, of the young guys return as Langdon seems to be indicating, I think the development of Ivey and Thompson take precedence over the 18-year-old Holland.
Laz Jackson: That he does roughly what Dyson Daniels did his rookie year for the New Orleans Pelicans – 1000+ minutes, less than 10 ppg, good steal and block numbers. I also expect Holland to continue drawing fouls / free throws at a high rate, a “skill” that should translate immediately from the G-League.
Brady Fredericksen: Pretty low. I think he’s a bench player who does a lot more without the ball than he did with it during his lone season with Ignite. I’m optimistic that the next Pistons’ coach emphasizes playing faster — with stallions like this team has, the fast break should be its bff — and that’s where Holland can thrive. If he can give eight or so points and three or four rebounds a game and good energy every night with some occasional “oh my godddd” games/moments sprinkled in, I’ll be content.
Justin Lambregtse: I kinda talked about it in the last question, but I’m not expecting much. I think they slow play it with him and give him small bursts of minutes on a roster that is equipped with better veterans which can allow the younger players to play through mistakes without it feeling like the weight of the world being on them with every mistake.
Wes Davenport: I think he begins the season off the bench but finishes the year as a starter. Guys who play the game with a high level of “want-to” on both ends will find minutes. This is especially true if that high-energy player is a great athlete and can regularly get to the free throw line. Holland is those things on day one. After the All-Star break, I think he’ll slot into that starting 3 spot, ideally next to Cade and Jaden Ivey. Jaylen Brown started 20 games his rookie season and averaged about 17 minutes per night, that’s the target for Holland. And I do believe he will get there.
Blake Silverman: I think Holland will get eased in. I don’t think he’ll be in the opening day starting lineup. The most likely outcome is as a seventh or eighth man in the rotation to start, which is still an important piece to any roster. Hopefully that role increases bit by bit over his rookie season and into year two by flashes Holland shows in a limited role to start.
Max Strum: I see Holland getting regular minutes off of the bench. From day one I think he can thrive defensively, and in transition while benefitting from spacing in a lineup that will likely feature some combination of Marcus Sasser, Quentin Grimes, and Isaiah Stewart, who are all above average shooters. Because he projects to defend right away, you might see him earn some crunch time run, with his size and athleticism possibly lending him valuable in some fun small ball lineups. Realistically, even with Fred Vinson in tow, it’s hard to imagine his shot coming around for a minimum of two years. With that said, it is hard to imagine him cracking the starting lineup until he improves there, or other players such as Ivey and Ausar improve the spacing around him. Long term, if it all breaks right, we could be looking at a real, legitimate sidekick to Cade, but that’s tremendous if.
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Let us know your thoughts on the selection of Ron in the comments!
1. The Detroit Pistons drafted Ron Holland at No. 5 overall on Thursday. What was your initial reaction to the pick and how do you feel a few days later?
2. On the surface, Holland is an interesting, if not wonky, fit alongside holdovers like Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thommpson. How do you see him slotting into the hierarchy of the roster under Langdon?
3. What’s your realistic expectation for Holland this season?