Pistons Rookie Ties Season-High in Impressive Showing

With Ausar Thompson in early foul trouble, J.B. Bickerstaff needed his rookie to step-up for a team who was already missing Cade Cunningham and Tim Hardaway Jr. due to injuries. Ron Holland II delivered in big-fashion showing people why he was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Pistons last summer.

Serving in a limited role off the bench this season, Holland has provided value with his unrelenting motor on both ends of the floor providing a spark for the team but has lacked a real opportunity to be more than a role player. Thompson has struggled recently and his foul trouble opened the door for a Holland breakout game.

The rookie put up 26 points, five rebounds, six assists and a steal in a team-high 36 minutes off the bench Sunday afternoon. This was by far his best all-around game of the season impacting the game by more than just scoring.

The 6-foot-8 forward was a force in the open floor by getting out in transition putting pressure on the defense constantly. Holland played under control attacking the rim and dishing to his teammates for open looks while finishing the game with zero turnovers. Making the right reads will be an important part of his growth and this performance showed he is making strides in that department.

Holland's biggest strength will always be his ability to get downhill and attack the rim off straight-line drives. His athleticism proved too much for the Pelicans at times in the full court and half court as Holland used his quick first step to get by defenders and finish through contact.

He plays with a confidence and motor rarely seen in players his age always playing hard and impacting the game with his energy. Holland even secured a rebound off his own miss at the free throw line and was able to finish at the rim by playing harder than everyone else on the court.

On the flip side, Holland's deficiencies as an outside shooter have not improved since entering the league which could limit his upside on the offensive end.

He did knock down a big three putting the Pistons up six with 3:38 to go on Sunday, but this was a rare make for him as he is only shooting 22% on the season and is at 11.8% during March. He was also only 5-for-11 from the free throw line as well despite shooting a solid 75.7% on the season.

The 19-year-old will need to improve his shot to earn more minutes especially with Thomspon being a non-shooter and the two playing the same position. Even with his struggles, Holland has served as a productive bench player for a Pistons team sitting at sixth in the Eastern Conference standings while playing in all of the team's games. The Pistons are one game out of the fifth spot and two games out of the fourth spot with 10 games to go in the regular season.