J.B. Bickerstaff Expresses Disappointment in Player’s All Star Weekend Snub

The Detroit Pistons will be well represented in this year’s All Star game, but one player who has thrived despite being thrown in at the deep end will not be part of the festivities in Los Angeles.

Cade Cunningham will be the first Pistons player to start an All Star game since 2009, with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff one of the head coaches and Jalen Duren likely to be named as one of the reserves when that lineup is revealed on February 1.

However, the Rising Stars game will not feature any Detroit players this year, as the team’s leading candidate, Ron Holland II, was not selected.

“We are disappointed for him…We believe Ron should have been on that team.”

Bickerstaff speaks on Ron Holland II not being selected to the 2026 Rising Stars Game. #Pistons pic.twitter.com/EPPxpuYR3v
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) January 28, 2026

“We're disappointed for him,” Bickerstaff said about Holland II missing out.

“I would never knock anybody who made it, but we do believe that Ron is capable and should have been on that team.

“A lot of times, and I know it's a little bit difficult for Ron in his situation, is when you get drafted as high as he did, you go to teams that aren't built or aren't competing for anything, and so you get more minutes, you get more opportunities. But Ron's had to fill a role here that we need him to fill, and he's embraced that.

“I hate it for him, but his willingness to sacrifice that and just do what's right by the team to help us win speaks loudly about who he is and what's more important to him.”

Holland by the numbers

Holland’s snub by the numbers at first glance could seem reasonably justified, but it’s when you look past the stats and delve into the impact the 20-year-old has that his case to be included is valid.

Season averages of 8.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists don’t jump out. But there is the factor that Holland plays on a talented roster that leads the Eastern Conference as Duren's backup, with his numbers increasingly improving from his rookie season.

Holland is playing more minutes than in his first year with the Pistons, and while his field goal percentage has dropped to 42.2% from 47.4%, he is taking nearly 3 more shots per game to offset it.

Additionally, his three-point and free-throw percentages have improved, along with his points in the paint and fast-break scores, making his role within the Detroit setup valuable to Bickerstaff.

NBA All Star weekend commences from February 13-15 in Los Angeles.