Pistons Forward Opens Up on Improving Physical Frame

As the Detroit Pistons continue training camp, Ron Holland remains a player that many are keeping an eye on. In the midst of gearing up for his sophomore campaign, he dove more into one area he's been emphasizing in terms of his development.

The Pistons drafted Holland fifth overall in 2024, but he played a limited role as a rookie due to the abundance of wings on Detroit's roster. Moving forward, he is looking to carve out a bigger role for himself within the team's nucleus.

Holland started the year off strong, putting together a strong showing in Summer League. Now, he'll look to carry that momentum through training camp and preseason.

Pistons Ron Holland — Oct 6, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ron Holland II (00) dribbles in the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Like most rookies, a key area of development for Holland was adding to his physical frame. Between the longer season and going against NBA athletes, adding muscle is essential.

During media day, Holland stated that he put in a lot of work over the summer to put on more weight. He's changed his eating habits, putting together a meal plan that will help maximize his muscle gain.

Following practice on Thursday, the Pistons forward touched more on wanting to add to his frame ahead of the 2026 campaign.

"The healthiness, it can be there a little bit more," Holland said while laughing. "But I definitely been eating a lot more trying to gain a lot of weight just to fill my body out a little bit more and get more comfortable with myself and be able to guard certain positions."

Ron mentioned he gained weight and started eating differently this summer. I asked how exactly his eating habits changed.

“The healthiness can get there a little more. But I’ve definitely been eating a lot more trying to gain a lot of weight to fill my body out.” pic.twitter.com/fdGHfLkQ4X
— Hunter Patterson (@HunterPatterson) October 2, 2025

Holland noted a key reason why adding more weight can be beneficial for him as he prepares for his second year in the pros. If he's able to get a little stronger, it will aid him in becoming a more versatile defender.

Standing at 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Holland has the physical attributes to be a multi-positional defender. However, adding more weight opens the door for him to be able to match up with bigger power forwards as well.

After not playing together much last season, Holland and Ausar Thompson are eager to become a high-level defensive duo for the Pistons. The former bulking up is a key path to them being able to wreak havoc on that end with their athleticism and versatility.

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