There aren't too many negative developments in the Detroit Pistons' 16-4 start to the 2025-26 NBA season. The Pistons have been dominating the competition in the Eastern Conference and look like a good bet to finish with a top-two seed. In recent weeks, however, the play of second-year player Ron Holland has been concerning as we enter December.
Before the season, the Pistons were hoping for Holland to develop into a solid two-way rotation piece. Through the first 20 games of the season, however, the former fifth-overall pick has yet to make the jump, especially on the offensive end. With increased expectations surrounding the team, Holland could find himself further marginalized going forward, or even traded before the deadline.
Ron Holland Is Becoming Expendable for the Pistons
When the Pistons were dealing with injuries in mid-November, Holland became a starter for five games and played extended minutes. He had a series of underwhelming performances, finishing games with 3-of-15, 1-of-4, 4-of-11, 4-of-15, and 3-of-6 shooting from the field in that span. With the return of Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, and Isaiah Stewart, the 20-year-old forward went back to a bench role. In the last six games, Holland played more than 20 minutes just once, which came against the Miami Heat on Saturday.
The main reason for Holland's marginalization is the lack of offensive improvement. He is shooting 26.4% from three and isn't guarded behind the three-point line. He is not an effective driver and playmaker in the half-court yet, making it hard to thrive next to other non-shooters like Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren. Holland is still a good defender and is a force in transition, but when the Pistons are fully healthy, there isn't much room for him in the rotation besides a deep bench role.
Holland has a True Shooting% of 49.2%, significantly lower than the league average (58.2%) and where he was last year. His usage rate has also fallen from 18.1% to 17.3%. Since he is not an off-ball threat, he is not helping the team offensively if he isn't touching the ball.
With Duren and Thompson playing at a much higher level, Holland is firmly behind those two in the pecking order in Detroit. If the Pistons are to make a win-now move at the trade deadline, he will be one of the candidates to be dealt, along with Ivey. With how poorly Holland has been fitting next to the best version of the Pistons, he could be on the chopping block instead of Ivey.
The Pistons should only give up on Holland for a true difference-maker like Lauri Markkanen, but he is increasingly becoming less and less untouchable.