The Detroit Pistons took plenty of criticism when they selected Ron Holland II with the 5th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, after all, they had just drafted an athletic forward who couldn’t shoot the previous year.
Holland was considered a raw prospect, one of the youngest in the draft, and many questioned whether he would even make the rotation early in his rookie season or if he’d be spending more time in the G-League.
Holland answered those questions quickly, earned a rotation spot, and never lost it. Coach JB Bickerstaff smartly kept Holland in a measured role without putting too much on his plate, and the rookie delivered with a solid season in which he appeared in 81 games and got minutes in the playoffs.