Measurements and Background
Ron Holland stands at 6-foot-8 with shoes on and has an unofficial 7-foot wingspan while weighing 205 pounds. His main position is small forward and his secondary position is power forward.
This past season he played for G League Ignite, but his pro campaign was cut short due to a thumb injury. Holland was born on July 7, 2005. Coming out of high school he was a consensus top-two prospect in the 2023 senior class and was widely considered the favorite to be the number one pick heading into the season. He’s still projected as a top ten pick with a ton of scouts still having him as the number one prospect in this year’s draft.
2023-2024 Season Stats
This season in a total of 29 games played Holland averaged 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.9 blocks, 3.2 turnovers and 3.2 fouls while playing 31.9 minutes per game. He shot 46% from the field, 72.8% from the free throw line, 52% from inside the arc and 24% from behind the arc.
When it comes to positives, his 2.3 steals per game puts him in this year’s top five in the steals category among his class. Holland averaging nearly 20 points a game for a prospect who is considered more on the raw side of things is very enticing. Furthermore, averaging nearly three assists per game for a team that struggled with consistent floor spacing and winning games is quite impressive for a secondary creator.
When it comes to things that should be considered when evaluating him, Holland’s defensive and offensive ratings are very poor. But a lot of that has to do with his team winning just two games this season. For a secondary creator, he averaged more turnovers than assists which could be a sign of poor decision-making. His 3-point percentage for a forward isn’t very encouraging as he shoots a poor percentage from behind the arc and he doesn’t project to be a lights out shooter at the next level.
Strengths
Holland is dynamic as a slasher. His best offensive trait is his ability to consistently pressure the rim in the half-court and in the open floor. He has one of the most versatile finishing packages in the entire draft at 6-foot-8 due to his flexibility, explosiveness and soft touch at the rim. With more floor spacing at the next level Holland will have a way more open paint that would allow him to put his versatile finishing ability on full display. Helpside defenders should be careful as Holland is capable of putting defenders on a poster.
It’s not crazy to believe that Holland is the most versatile defender in the 2024 NBA Draft. At 6-foot-8 with long arms he has the size and strength to defend bigger forwards and big men in the NBA. He also has the lateral quickness and perimeter defense to defend wings and guards out on the perimeter. The Ignite prospect averages over two steals per game widely due to his great defensive anticipation, quick hands and length. His motor is off the charts and he will bring a winning attitude to whatever organization he gets drafted to.
The most underrated aspect of Holland’s game is his overall ceiling as an offensive player. In the final eight games of the season the projected top ten pick averaged nearly 25 points per game on improved efficiency. He has a very good feel for the game and it shows with his playmaking flashes. The slashing equity paired with his feel for the game gives him the potential to average over five assists per game at the next level. As an all-around scorer he definitely gets disrespected by fans. He has a functional handle to create space off the dribble with elite burst and solid scoring instincts.
Areas of Improvement
Holland struggles as an outside shooter as he shot below 25% from behind the arc. At the next level there’s a high likelihood he won’t have as many on-ball opportunities as he did in high school and in the G League, so it’s going to be important he becomes more of a threat as a spot-up shooter. The inconsistent shooting results allow opposing teams to sag off of him and feel comfortable ignoring him as a shooter. If he doesn’t improve as a shooter then his slashing, playmaking and overall offense gets severely limited.
He’s quite turnover prone for a secondary wing creator as he averages more turnovers than assists. The majority of Holland’s turnovers come from him forcing certain passes that aren’t there or him mishandling the ball in a tight space. He’s still tightening up his handle as it’s not quite polished yet but the potential is certainly there. The overall decision-making on the offensive end needs to be more consistent but due to him being so young as he’s not even 19 years old yet he has the potential to be a really good decision-maker as he matures and gets older.
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