The 2024 NBA Draft has always been labeled as one of the worst classes in league history, and Detroit Pistons rookie Ron Holland II is not having any of it. In an interview with ESPN, the 19-year-old guard said he is “mad” whenever his draft class is put in a bad light.
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“It definitely makes me mad that people would say that,” Holland said via ESPN. “But we go out here and play the game of basketball and just show everybody, show the whole world why we really want (to be) the best competitive class.”
Ron Holland II was selected with the No. 5 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in this summer’s NBA Draft. The former G League Ignite swingman averaged 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game last season, and he set the team’s single-season record for steals (69), 30-point games (4), and 20-point games (16) while finishing second in points (565).
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Detroit Pistons president Trajan Langdon described Ron Holland II as a “project” that has a high upside.
“I’m very, very comfortable with this young man to my left. There’s a lot of things that he brings at an elite level to us right now. Yes, he has a high ceiling but I don’t think his floor is that low,” Langdon said about Holland during the rookie’s introductory press conference.
Ron Holland II is out to prove his worth for the Detroit Pistons
Ron Holland II has shown the Detroit Pistons in the Las Vegas Summer League why they were right in drafting him with the No. 5 overall pick.
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In his debut game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Ron Holland II had a team-high 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks while going 5-of-15 from the field in the 94-81 loss. The former G League Ignite swingman was rested against the Houston Rockets in the second game.
Against Matas Buzelis the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, Ron Holland II filled up the stat sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds (five offensive rebounds), and three assists while going 7-of-20 from the field in the 85-77 comeback victory.
