After completely falling out of the rotation in Round 1 against the Orlando Magic, Ron Holland is trending in the right direction. In the series opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, Holland was back in the rotation. In his ten minutes, the second-year player was a net positive, and the Detroit Pistons ended up winning those minutes by eight points. To maintain his spot on the roster for next season and beyond, Holland needs to build on this momentum.
Ron Holland Is Holding His Pistons Fate in His Hands in Round 2
It was a disappointing season for Holland, who pretty much had the same campaign as he did in his rookie year. He was a chaos agent defensively, providing ball pressure and forcing a ton of turnovers. He was difficult to play against any time he was on the court, giving the Pistons more speed, intensity, and athleticism. Everything else, however, left plenty to be desired.
The lack of shooting improvement remains the biggest concern for Holland. He finished the season shooting 25.3% from three and largely getting ignored by opposing defenses. His inability to do anything in the half-court caused him to gradually lose playing time at the end of the regular season and the playoffs.
Another team can overcome Holland's offensive struggles. The Pistons, on the other hand, already have a defense-first wing who can't do much offensively in Ausar Thompson. The last thing Detroit needs in its playoff rotation is another perimeter player that hurts its offense. The Pistons need more shooting and offensive juice from their bench, and unfortunately, Holland can't provide that, making it difficult for JB Bickerstaff to trust him for long stretches.
In Game 1, Bickerstaff gave Holland another look. A different opponent could allow Holland to stay on the court and be effective. This paid dividends on Tuesday as Holland largely did a good job against Donovan Mitchell. The 20-year-old small forward's size, length, and dynamism caused some trouble against the Cavs' backcourt.
This needs to continue. If Holland finds himself falling out of the rotation for the second straight series, his outlook as a part of this team going forward will take a big hit.
If the Pistons can't go all the way this season, there will be pressure on GM Trajan Langdon to make a few changes in the offseason. As one of their expendable young players with upside, Holland will likely be a part of a lot of trade scenarios. His lack of impact in the postseason will make Langdon's decision to include him in trade packages much easier. It's up to Holland to make that a tougher decision over the next couple of weeks.
More Detroit Pistons news and rumors:
Add us as a preferred source on Google