After clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons are using the final week of the season to rest their veterans and evaluate their roster to finalize the playoff rotation. With that goal in mind, the Pistons sat out Tobias Harris, Caris LeVert, and Duncan Robinson on Monday night against the Orlando Magic.
Given the continued absences of Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, the short-handed Pistons have relied on their supporting cast members more often than not recently.
This didn't work against a desperate Orlando Magic team vying for a playoff spot in Monday's 123-107 loss. However, the Pistons have little reason to change their approach in the remaining three games of the season.
Resting the key contributors down the stretch will give an expanded opportunity for Ron Holland. The second-year player has a chance to earn himself a role in the playoff rotation or completely lose his spot in the depth chart.
Final Week of the Season Will Make or Break Ron Holland's Immediate Future
Against Orlando, Holland couldn't help his case.
In 19 minutes of action, the 20-year-old had five points on 2-of-6 (33.3%) shooting. He didn't record a rebound or an assist, but added a steal and a block. He didn't get to the free-throw line and finished with a turnover and three personal fouls.
This was in line with what Holland has been doing for the Pistons all season. Despite having a consistent role off the bench, the young small forward hasn't been able to make much of an impact.
Holland is a very good transition player and provides a ton of defensive effort and intensity. His energy has made a positive difference in certain games, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff clearly believes in him, at least defensively.
Yet, Holland's development on the other end of the floor has been disappointing. When the game shrinks to the half-court in the playoffs, Holland will almost certainly be a liability. He remains a very poor shooter, hitting less than 25% of his threes for the second straight year. This prevents him from being a good off-ball player, but the results are not very good when he has the ball in his hands, either.
Holland has more turnovers (93) than assists (90) this season and isn't an effective playmaker. He can't create good shots for himself or his teammates, unless it's a fast break opportunity.
Holland has three more games to change this perception of him and earn Bickerstaff's trust offensively. He will have a chance to explore the studio space and have the ball in his hands more often. If he can find a way to be more effective, he will earn himself a role in the playoff rotation, at least to start the postseason.
Otherwise, the downward trend in his minutes will continue. Since the All-Star break, Holland is playing almost three fewer minutes per game than before the stoppage. In the playoffs, it's going to be even harder for him to match his regular-season average of 19.8 minutes per game.
In other words, Holland needs to prove himself to Bickerstaff & Co. before it's too late. Otherwise, his minutes will continue to dip, and Pistons fans wouldn't be surprised if that eliminates him from the playoff rotation altogether.