GET TO KNOW: RON HOLLAND.
Ron Holland has all the traits you seek in an NBA prospect: athleticism, motor, scoring ability, ball handling, and playmaking. As of now, what Holland offers in terms of athleticism and motor cannot be questioned; however, his draft stock will hinge on how well he refines the skills that he has flashed. As a scorer and creator, Holland has flashed tremendous upside, but he needs to show consistency in this area to solidify his spot at the top of the draft.
One hesitancy that analysts have had calling Holland a top prospect is how closely his game and play style resembles other highly touted prospects who have struggled in the NBA. Holland’s profile resembles the likes of Jonathan Kuminga, Marvin Williams, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Three players who, despite being extremely talented with sky-high potential, did not reach the level of success usually expected at their respective draft positions.
Holland isn’t necessarily destined to follow in their footsteps though. By all accounts, he is an incredible worker with a tireless motor. Holland has the talent and the will to answer questions hovering over his head, such as “Is Holland over reliant on his athleticism?” or “Can he create for himself and others at the same volume against stronger competition?” and as a result, hear his name early on draft day.
Grading Scale:
EXTREMELY POOR, POOR, BELOW AVERAGE, AVERAGE, ABOVE AVERAGE, GOOD, GREAT, EXCELLENT, GENERATIONAL
OFFENSE.
ATHLETICISM: GREAT
Ron Holland is a legitimate high-level NBA athletic prospect, who is also extremely fluid and controlled. He’s got a strong build and frame, but he glides effortlessly around the court. He’s a very well-rounded athlete, who has good verticality, a quick first step, and good burst.
MOTOR (NEW): EXCELLENT
Ron Holland’s motor is relentless. He plays with intensity on both ends of the court, which is bolstered by a short-term memory that prevents him from lingering on poor plays. Holland’s energy will be infectious and inspiring for whichever team drafts him.
INTERIOR SCORING: GREAT
Holland has above-the-rim athleticism that is combined with surprising finesse and a feathery touch, which makes him a potent scoring threat around the rim. He has the quickness to take defenders off the dribble and attack the rim with ferocity, allowing him to rack up free throw attempts. He is also a lob-threat around the rim, especially on fast breaks as he loves to sprint down the floor using his speed to get easy buckets.
IN-BETWEEN GAME: BELOW-AVERAGE
Because of his quickness, speed, and improving ball handling, Holland is always a threat on-ball; however, as noted in other sections, he has a lack of creativity that is exposed most in the midrange. Diversifying his scoring arsenal and growing more comfortable shooting off the bounce will help him take huge strides as a shooter, but this is an area he needs to work hard to develop.
SHOOTING: BELOW-AVERAGE
Shooting remains one of Holland’s biggest and most glaring weaknesses. During the U17 World Cup, Holland shot 58.8% from the free throw line. During the 2022 Nike EYBL Circuit, he made 28.9% of his 3s and 60.5% of his free throws. While these numbers are alarming, the bright side is that his shooting form looks salvageable. At times, he brings the ball too low when loading up his shot, but the rest of his form is compact and repeatable.
SELF-CREATION AND BALL HANDLING: AVERAGE
Holland’s ball handling skills are improving. While he still lacks effective counters and variety in how he attacks, he is incredibly quick and aggressive. He can change directions rapidly, but he’ll need further refining going forward as his lack of creativity as a ball handler makes Holland easier to corral when guarded by similar level athletes. His self-creation game will go as far as his handles take him.
At times, he can get into the lane with ease and create not only for himself, but for others too. If he can do this more consistently, he’ll blossom as a scorer and as a prospect.
OFF-BALL: BELOW-AVERAGE
His energetic playstyle means that he is always active, even without the ball in his hand. He makes smart, decisive cuts towards the basket, showcasing a strong understanding of spacing and off-ball movement. However, due to his shortcomings as a shooter, he doesn’t create much space or draw much gravity without the ball.
PLAYMAKING: GOOD
While he doesn’t have much gravity off the ball, Holland does force defenses to collapse onto him whenever he attacks the paint. When attacking on fast breaks and in the half court, Holland is incredibly unselfish and has shown promising vision, with the ability to find open shooters on the wing. If he can continue developing his handle, Holland has upside as a secondary playmaker, who can handle the offense for spurts, lead fast breaks with his blazing speed, and run some half court sets.
DEFENSE.
INTERIOR DEFENSE: ABOVE-AVERAGE
6’8” and boasting a 7’1” wingspan, Holland uses his frame and athleticism to disrupt and contest shots extremely well. Gifted with good physical strength, he is able to hang with most 4s in the paint. He is a disciplined paint defender, who should continue to get better as he continues to add mass.
PERIMETER DEFENSE: GREAT
Blessed with great athleticism and good physical tools that are bolstered by a strong motor, Holland has the makings of a suffocating perimeter defender. He is not only physically and athletically gifted, but can also make quick reads, enabling him to be extremely disruptive in passing lanes. He has the quickness to stick with quicker guards and the size and strength to stymie bigger forwards.
Overall, Holland projects as a high-level defender in the future and seeing how he fares against tougher competition in the G-League will be a good measuring stick going forward.