2024 Prospect Spotlight: Ron Holland

[Jamaaliver]

I'm in favor of taking serious upside swings in this draft -- considering the state of the franchise right now.

This young man was once considered a contender for a top-3 selection but has had a less than stellar time in the G-League Ignite Program.

If he were to fall to our pick, I'd strongly consider taking a gamble on am uber-athletic SF like him. Not sure he has Hawks DNA or the IQ to run a Quin Snyder offense.

2024 NBA Draft scouting report: Ron Holland

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Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 195 pounds
Birthdate: July 7, 2005
Position: Small Forward
Offensive Role: Slashing wing
Defensive Role: Switchable wing
Projected Draft Range: 1-14

Ron Holland began the season No. 1 on a lot of boards. In the months since, his stock has fluctuated violently depending on where you look. It's that kind of year as far as NBA Draft evaluation is concerned.

The 18-year-old hasn't necessarily disappointed, but Holland is trapped in a difficult situation. The G League Ignite team is bad. It's that simple. The offense lacks basic infrastructure. Holland doesn't have reliable point guard play or optimal spacing to make his life easier. The talent is plentiful — Ignite has never had more NBA prospects in the mix — but the roster construction is all out of whack.

Holland is therefore playing heavy minutes on the G League's worst team, with a statistical profile that indicates his immense talent while underscoring his weaknesses, in bold and italics. Holland is averaging 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on .460/.240/.728 splits in 31.9 minutes.

At the end of the day, what made Holland such an appealing prospect before the season hasn't dissipated. He's the best two-way wing on the board in a draft defined by parity and uncertainty. His archetype is highly coveted around the NBA and that should give Holland a bit of extra leeway. It's best to view him as a project more than a day-one star, but Holland's innate physical gifts and unceasing motor serve as a strong foundation upon which to build.

Team fit is going to matter a lot for Holland. That said, the upside is pronounced.

Strengths

Spoiler:

Ron Holland is the best open-floor athlete in the 2024 draft. He runs the court with fervor and absolutely dominates in transition. He can fill lanes, grab-and-go off the rebound, or catch the hit-ahead pass and gun it. His aggressiveness seldom wavers, which serves as a strength more often than a weakness. Holland is difficult to stop once he has momentum. At the rim, he will embrace contact, draw fouls, and explode for power finishes.

That general approach applies to the halfcourt setting, too. Holland wants to get downhill and put pressure on the rim. His first step is blistering and he's beginning to show more promise as a self-creator. Holland loves to operate at full speed, but he's getting better at shifting gears into pull-up jumpers and delivering live-dribble passes.

Holland will do the majority of his damage off the catch. He will flourish with superior spacing at the next level. Also, if Holland gets paired with a high-level creator, the ability to attack rotating defenses and drive against weaker defenders should help mitigate his weaknesses as a ball-handler and decision-maker.

The 3-point shot has been a problem, but Holland shows promising touch from the mid-range and on floaters. His 72.8 percent free throw rate isn't great, but it's not terrible. There's enough there to project forward with optimism, maybe even confidence.

Where Holland made his bones in high school is the defensive end. His motor is the stuff of legend. It's difficult in the G League, where he's surrounded by more talent and better athletes, but Holland still aims to win every 50-50 ball. He leaves his imprint on the game with physicality. Holland should comfortably switch one through four on defense; even if he loses the strength battle, he will dig in and compete. He doesn't cede position without a fight.

His playmaking on that end of the floor is excellent as well. Holland is averaging 2.3 steals and 0.9 blocks for the Ignite. He will blow up passing lanes and eliminate air space with timely rotations. His propensity for generating turnovers plays beautifully to his strengths in transition. Holland loves to run and he's great at creating the opportunities to do so.

Weaknesses

Spoiler:

Holland's 3-point percentage leaps off the page (24.0 percent). His spot-up mechanics are rigid and he lacks confidence from range. For a player so reliant on paint pressure and weaponizing his speed, the inability to demand respect beyond the arc is problematic. The Ignite has magnified Holland's issues with poor spacing and limited creators, but if the 3s aren't falling at the next level, his ceiling and floor are limited.

Another major red flag for talent evaluators is turnovers — 3.2 per game, compared to 2.9 assists. Holland's aggressiveness can get the best of him. He runs headlong into crowds and gets too sped up at times. His handle isn't particularly great. Holland has gotten better at mixing speeds and slowing down for finishes, but he still has a long way to go. The finishing also bears monitoring. Holland can get a little erratic below the rim. He doesn't lack touch, but he's not the best at improvised layups.

It's going to be difficult for teams to talk themselves into Holland as a potential top-five pick, not to mention No. 1 overall, if the 3s don't start falling. A reliable jumper would paper over flaws as a decision-maker, or vice versa. It's hard to be weak in both areas. Holland's first step, length, and vertical explosiveness is enough to maintain confidence long-term — again, we're talking a project here — but Holland is going to experience his share of growing pains. That is especially true if he lands with a team in need of immediate shot creation. Holland would be much better suited to a streamlined role in the early going. Let him cut, straight-line drive off the catch, and focus his energy on defense.

Final Summary

Holland is a major beneficiary of the weak draft class around him. But, by that same token, he has become broadly underrated at this point. Even if he is viewed as unmolded clay, Holland's athletic profile as a 6-foot-8 wing is difficult to overlook. His first step and coordination on drives, his effectiveness in transition, the constant havoc generated on defense — there's a lot to work with. Every NBA team needs a two-way wing, and every team wants a prospect that checks the intangible boxes Holland does. He works hard. He impacts the game by sheer force of will. That should help him make a living while the skills develop over time.

Fan Sided

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Ron Holland | G League Ignite

6'8" | 195 lb | Wing | 19 years old

Defensive stopper with the upside to be a downhill attacking scorer.

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Shades of: Harrison Barnes, Theoretical Josh Jackson

PLUSES

• Explosive finisher at the basket. He can hang in the air and score through contact, giving him the upside to become a foul magnet. If he doesn’t get all the way to the cup he’s capable of hitting floaters, too.
  
• Decisive attacker. In transition, he’ll sprint up the floor to beat the defense. In the half court, he’ll actively cut, drive closeouts, or recognize backdoor cut opportunities.
  
• Better shooter off the dribble than he is off the catch, though shots of any kind have yet to fall for him with any consistency.
  
• Flashes flair as a passer with an occasional no-look and makes rapid decisions. He’s also selfless: If he’s open on the break, he’ll sometimes pass the ball to a sprinting teammate.
  
• Versatile defender with the mobility to switch onto quicker players. He hustles at all times and has a knack for chasedown blocks.
  
• One of the youngest players in the class—he will still be 18 on draft day—but he already has some big-game experience. He was a highly accomplished high school player and also won two gold medals with USA Basketball’s junior teams.

MINUSES

• Stiff spot-up shooter. He takes a beat to get his feet set with an extended gather into his release. He’s also a below-average free throw shooter, so he needs to improve shooting from a standstill.
  
• Struggles to gain an edge when isolating. He’s more of a straight-line driver rather than a shake-and-bake creator.
  
• Needs to work on improving his off hand to become a more dynamic at-rim finisher.

The Ringer

[Geaux_Hawks]

I don't think we'll get a shot at him. Kid is super quick and strong to the hole. He can really get downhill in a hurry and bounces off the floor just as fast. Shooting needs more consistency, but a team like Detroit would probably take a chance he improves in that area since he'll be a contributor on the defensive end from day 1.

[Jamaaliver]

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[King Ken]

He's definitely better than Josh Jackson. Screams Gerald Wallace to me

[Jamaaliver]

Ron Holland II Scouting Report

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Age: 18
Position: SF
Size: 6'8", 206 lbs
Draft ceiling: Top five
Draft floor: Late lottery

Ron Holland II started the year as a popular preseason No. 1 pick. He came to the G League Ignite with an excellent track record for USA Basketball that includes two gold medals and a strong performance for NBA executives at the Nike Hoop Summit.

He continued to produce this year in the G League, averaging 19.5 points at just 18 years old.

However, the No. 1 option role exposed some weaknesses in Holland's game. Despite scoring more points per game than previous top-three picks Scoot Henderson and Jalen Green did for Ignite, his draft stock has taken a hit.

Holland is still near the top of many scouts' boards. He just may require the right team and a roster that will value his physical/athletic strengths and mask some of the flaws in his skill set.

NBA Role and Pro Comparisons

Spoiler:

Projected role: Attacking wing
Pro comparisons: Cam Whitmore, RJ Barrett

Holland's role will change moving from the G League to the NBA. His usage will drop, and he'll play more to his strengths in an off-ball role that calls for transition finishing, driving off dribble hand-offs, spot-ups and cutting.

If he winds up coming off the bench early in his NBA career, he could see more on-ball reps as a second-unit scorer. Though creating isn't a strength of Holland's, he did show improvements to his handle, separating into step-backs or getting to spots while penetrating.

Holland isn't the same level of shooter that Cam Whitmore was entering last year's draft, but their playing styles are similar. Holland's game will revolve around attacking the rim using explosion and strength. He also has shown confidence in his perimeter shot making, despite his underwhelming 24.0 percent shooting from deep this season.

Holland could also look something like RJ Barrett, who isn't as athletic but similarly relies on fast breaks and slashing for scoring.

Physical Tools and Athleticism

Spoiler:

At 6'8" and 206 pounds, Holland has the right size for an NBA wing, and he plays with enough physicality for some power forward matchups.

Speed and explosiveness are still his most distinguishable, advantageous athletic strengths. Even without the sharpest skill level, he averaged 19.5 points in the G League, leaning heavily on transition offense, spot-up drives and getting downhill in ball-screen situations.

He shows no fear initiating and taking contact around the basket.

Defensively, he's flashed exciting potential tied to his length, quickness and stretches of intensity.

Signature Strengths

Spoiler:

Transition offense

Holland becomes a threat whenever he grabs a defensive rebound or a fast break starts. He's fast without the ball, but he's equally dangerous with it using his long strides, footwork in the open floor, burst around the paint, nose for the rim and vertical explosion.

Driving/slashing

In the half court, Holland puts pressure on the defense and rim with his first step. He's sharp with the ball once downhill, finding space with side-steps and body control.

He's able to adjust with a deep layup package below the rim and bounce to elevate above it.

Defensive/energizer potential

Holland has textbook size, length and foot speed and the versatility to defend ball-handlers, big guard, wings and some small-ball 4s. While his intensity wasn't at 100 percent on every possession this year, Holland showed he can engage, play with a high motor and make hustle plays at both ends of the floor.

Weaknesses

Spoiler:

Shot-creation

Holland relies more on transition opportunities and straight-line slashing rather than self creation for scoring. Aside from drives, the shots he does create for himself are low-percentage, and he isn't an advanced enough shot-maker right now to convert them at an efficient rate.

His ball-handling is improving, though, so this weakness could potentially turn into a threat over time.

Shooting

Holland finished the season shooting 24.0 percent on 3.3 three-point attempts per game. He was highly streaky, with far more cold nights than hot ones.

He also shot 28.6 percent in the mid-range and 72.8 percent from the free-throw line, both of which are underwhelming numbers for a perimeter player.

Decision-making

Holland was turnover-prone with Ignite, which has something to do with his heavy usage and lack of polish in that role. He won't have as much decision-making responsibility early in his NBA career, although teams thinking about Holland with a top pick may want to draft a player who looks more comfortable as a top option.

Bleacher Report

[HMFFL]

I remember when Ron was projected to go first overall but he's more likely to go #4 or after.

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Ron Holland | 6-8 wing | 18 years old | G League Ignite

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Holland was the Ignite’s most productive player this season, averaging 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while being one of the team’s few sources of offensive creation. However, most of those points came in transition or inefficiently in half-court settings. He had a below-average true shooting percentage and more turnovers than assists as he struggled with his decision-making. That’s somewhat to be expected from an 18-year-old playing professionally for the first time, but it also has left evaluators in a tricky spot as they try to determine where to slot him. He’ll miss the rest of the G League season with a thumb injury.

Holland’s motor is what excites NBA teams most. He constantly plays hard, getting the most out of his terrific athleticism by going 100 percent at every moment. His energy can sometimes bite him on defense when he gets overaggressive and overly physical. But amid the Ignite’s poor season, Holland has at least continued to improve, showcasing a capacity for growth that impressed evaluators.

It seems like Holland’s range is from picks No. 4 to No. 12 right now. Some evaluators who have gone back through his tape now that his season is over have come away a bit more understanding and impressed with his play this season. Pre-draft workouts will play a huge role in determining his draft position, especially if he shoots the ball well in front of NBA executives.

The Athletic

[Jamaaliver]

I remember when Ron was projected to go first overall but he's more likely to go #4 or after.

Yeah, I'm conflicted on this guy. On one hand, we've kids initially projected as top-10 selections (like Jalen Johnson and Cam Whitmore) fall out of the lottery and then greatly outplay their draft position.

On the other hand, the G-League Ignite program was a disaster and most of the former players have struggled in the league in the early parts of their careers.

At this point, we need assets and talented players, if he's their at #10, it'd be a wasted opportunity not to grab a guy that many scouts had as a top draft prospect just 8 months ago.

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[raleigh]

At 10 in a weak draft, I think the Hawks would be ecstatic to get a guy of his upside.