2024 NBA Draft: Why G League Ignite's Ron Holland is Early Favorite to go No. 1
The 2024 class has a solid amount of talent near the top. But it's much less clear who the top prospect is compared to draft's past.
Here's a look at why G League Ignite forward Ron Holland is the early favorite:
Background
Holland is an 18-year old power forward that played high school ball for Duncanville in Duncanville, Texas. Holland was formerly committed to the University of Texas until he announced his de-commitment back in late April of this year.
It was expected that he was going to play for his home state but having a coaching change in the middle of your commitment and getting an enticing offer from a professional team led to his departure.
The 6-foot-8 forward will now be playing for G League Ignite this upcoming season as they head into their fourth year of existence. Holland will be joined by fellow potential number one overall pick, Matas Buzelis which gives the team a unique blend of forward talent on their roster.
Strengths
At 6-foot-8 with a nearly 7-foot wingspan Holland possesses elite defensive versatility at the forward position. He has a rare combination of defensive ability and high motor out of a top prospect. Holland’s motor is nonstop on the defensive end as you can tell he takes pride in playing defense and rebounding the ball.
The toolsy forward can switch out onto wings and is quick enough to contain ball-handlers off the dribble and beat them to their spots while also being able to defend forwards and offer some paint defense. There’s belief amongst some scouts that Holland is the best defensive prospect in the entire draft next year.
Offensively, Holland has great versatility but is at his best as a slasher and rim finisher right now. He has the ability to finish with either hand around the rim. At 6-foot-8 he takes long strides and has a solid handle which allows him to get by perimeter defenders.
The G League Ignite prospect has made improvements as a shot-maker and scorer which is encouraging although his play style doesn’t suggest that he’ll be a number one scoring option for an NBA team but it’s his two-way impact that makes him one of the most exciting prospects in the entire draft.
Area of Improvements
The next step for Holland is improving his consistency as an outside shooter. It’s safe to expect that the Ignite staff will be working relentlessly on his perimeter jumper off the catch and off the dribble throughout the entire season which could be very beneficial for his NBA career when looking long term. Although there’s still work to be done, it’s very encouraging that he has already shown promising improvements as an outside shooter.
He doesn’t have the strongest or bulkiest frame for a power forward so adding muscle and strength will make his strengths even scarier as a finisher and versatile defender. Going to the G League is the best case scenario for him as he’ll be getting his body properly developed while he’s there and can only focus on basketball during his one year there.
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