Ron Holland May Have To Wait For A Spot in Pistons Rotation

The 5th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft may not be apart of the Detroit Pistons opening night rotation — and that's okay.

The Detroit Pistons are going to be a more competitive team next season. 

New President of Basketball Operations, Trajan Langdon, has wasted little time reshaping the Pistons around a core led by Cade Cunningham — who Langdon inked to a 5-year max contract extension amidst a busy summer. 

One of the first objectives Langdon completed in his first offseason with the organization was selecting Ron Holland and Bobi Klintman in the 2024 NBA Draft. 

Now, with summer league concluded, we’ve gotten our first look at both Holland and Klintman in Detroit’s system. Each had good moments in Las Vegas that showcased why this new regime valued them with the 5th and 37th pick in the draft respectively.

But in a busy offseason in which the Pistons added several veterans to the roster — Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malik Beasley — it is hard to imagine either draft pick to be a part of Detroit’s opening night rotation. 

Holland performed better as summer league progressed, and while efficiency is not the end-all-be-all in summer league, I didn’t come away from the four games he played in confident that he is ready to crack the rotation right away. 

And that is okay. 

He’s the 5th pick in what is widely considered a very weak draft class. The 5th pick in this class isn’t the same tier of prospect that the 5th pick in previous draft classes — such as Jaden Ivey or Ausar Thompson — were. 

Outside of his struggles finishing at the rim or knocking down 3-point shots, Holland looked raw. Though his tenacious energy was evident and his sheer athleticism was on display in several highlight dunks, there were still instances in which he looked lost on defense. 

One of these moments took place late in Detroit’s comeback win against the Chicago Bulls in which Holland stood still — leaving them wide-open for a 3-pointer. 

Holland was not bad in Vegas by any means, but that isn’t enough to guarantee him NBA minutes come October. 

It isn’t solely Holland‘s fault that he may be on the outside looking in at a rotation spot right now. The Pistons spent most of the cap space they went into the summer with on players who play the same positions as Holland.

All of the following are likely to be ahead of Holland in the rotation:

• Tobias Harris

• Simone Fontecchio

• Ausar Thompson

• Jaden Ivey

• Malik Beasley 

• Tim Hardaway Jr.

As much as you’d like to pencil in a top-5 pick for minutes, it gets harder once you put Detroit’s roster on paper.

In years past, top draft selections by the Pistons have been sent into the fire — starting and playing heavy minutes throughout the season. That is not to say they did not earn the minutes they received, but they were also playing on bottom of the league rosters. Rosters, mind you, that employed several non-NBA level players on a gamely basis. 

It’s just different now. The Pistons are better and deeper. Even if they are not a playoff team, they are more competitive. They have more players on the team that not only belong in the NBA, but belong in the rotation. 

Certainly there will be opportunities for Holland to get minutes, and it would not be a lost season for him if he wasn’t a regular rotation player right away. Injuries are bound to happen — especially with the Pistons — making Holland a prime candidate to step into the rotation when one of Detroit’s wings has to miss time. 

If the Pistons get to the trade deadline and decide to be sellers, players like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley could find themselves on the move. This could allow Holland to join the rotation later in the season after having some time to get his feet wet in the NBA. 

Maybe all of this is wrong. Maybe Holland will be a day-1 rotation piece. He is a top-5 pick. The Pistons are very likely not a playoff team and need to continue developing their core. Maybe Holland automatically has a role because of this. 

But if the Pistons are serious about being a more competitive team and serious about winning more games — Ron Holland probably is not in J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation on opening night. 

And, again, that’s okay.