DETROIT — Ron Holland appreciates the opportunities he gets to spend on the court with Detroit Pistons teammate Cade Cunningham.
As Holland continues to develop his game in the NBA, the 2024 first-round pick is also relishing the fact that he gets to closely watch an All-NBA player like Cunningham, who “looks like he’s playing on the playground” while being one of the top players in the league.
“I’ve been watching his pace, how he really doesn’t let nobody slow him down or speed him up,” Holland said at a youth clinic he was hosting at the Pistons Performance Center Friday. “Whether they’re picking him up full court, or whether they’re doubling him or being aggressive with him hanging in the half court setting. Just going through all the games that we played, even him in playoffs, I’m definitely learning a lot from that.”
There’s an expectation that the Pistons are going to see a step forward from Holland in his second season as an NBA player and Holland is working in the offseason to make sure that happens.
Holland said he grew as a film watcher since being draft fifth overall last year and that it’s making him more comfortable heading into the 2025-2026 season.
“A lot of it is how I learn. I definitely think I’m a visual learner,” Holland said. “So being able to go out there and see what I need to work on, or see what’s happening, and then going out there and work on it.
“I definitely feel like that’s helping me out a lot in my career, being able to just slow the game down and go out there and play with pace.”
Holland showcased some of his growth and his ability to pace the Pistons’ offense in a standout performance at Las Vegas Summer League.
In his second year playing in Summer League competition, Holland averaged 21.7 points, six rebounds and a Summer League-best four steals per game across his three appearances for the Pistons.
For his efforts, Holland was placed on the All-Summer League Second Team.
Cunningham and nearly the entire Pistons’ roster was in attendance at Summer League to watch and cheer on some of their younger teammates.
After last season’s dramatic turnaround, the Pistons are now a viable playoff contender going into the 2025-2026 season.
The Pistons are counting on the internal development and growth of Holland and others to carry weight in returning to the postseason.
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