Cade Cunningham's Honest Thoughts on Pistons Rookie After Tough Moment

Wednesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks was a roller coaster situation for Detroit Pistons rookie Ron Holland. On one note, the young forward collected his first start of the year in the absence of the injured Tim Hardaway Jr. With that opportunity, Holland showed plenty of positive flashes throughout the night.

On another note, his lack of experience showed in crunch time. With the game on the line, Holland had an opportunity to take two free throws to put the Pistons in the lead with just one second left in the game. He missed short on both shots, sending the game into overtime.

The misses stung more when the Pistons lost control in OT, allowing for a Giannis Antetokounmpo masterclass finish with the Bucks on top.

For some rookies, they might hang their head and have trouble getting past the fact they struggled to close out a game on top for their team. For Holland, he received praise from Detroit star Cade Cunningham for being able to quickly bounce back and continue contributing for his squad in an NBA Cup matchup.

Pistons try the inbounds lob to win the game and they miss, but Giannis was called for a foul

Ron Holland II went to the line and missed BOTH free throws. Pistons-Bucks go to overtime.pic.twitter.com/CFZC5zZ45b
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) November 14, 2024

“His mental toughness is different to be a rookie,” Cunningham told reporters.

“We talked to him, but I think he was ready for today’s game after what happened. He was ready to shake it off and get to another game. I think that’s the best thing about the NBA is you got another one in a day or two. He came in, performed today, and now we move on with a dub. We’re one step closer to the cup. Everybody’s happy about that.”

When Holland picked up his first start against the Bucks, he made 50 percent of his shots to score 11 points in 28 minutes. He also had four rebounds and two assists in the seven-point loss.

With Jaden Ivey returning from an injury against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, JB Bickerstaff kept Malik Beasley in the starting five and shift him over to Hardaway’s spot. Holland resumed his role off the bench, and earned some extended playing time as a reserve.

In his first 12 games, Holland averaged 15 minutes on the floor. On Friday, he came off the bench for a little over 20 minutes. His confidence was still there as he scored 10 points while coming down with eight rebounds.

“That’s my guy, man,” Cunningham added.

Ron Holland hustle compilation ⬇️

He's got a serious motor on him! pic.twitter.com/sW1xvGxWvz
— .Mike (@ToTheBasketPod) November 16, 2024

“He wants to play as hard as he can every day. I don’t know what the words are that I can put on Ron. He’s a different dude. I’m just happy for him, man. He stuck it out. He had a couple tough plays early on. His mental strength—I think that’s the best thing about him—he helped us.”

Coming out of the NBA G League Ignite program during its final season, Holland was one of two Top 15 picks from the league’s developmental program. He was called on fifth overall by the Pistons.

After averaging 19 points and seven rebounds in the G League, the 19-year-old has produced six points and three rebounds per game as an everyday rotational player for the Pistons.

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