Ron Holland was a consistent contributor off the bench for the Pistons throughout most of his second regular season, but his role diminished once the playoffs arrived.
Over 78 regular-season games, he put up 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19.9 minutes per night. In the postseason, though, he appeared in only nine contests and averaged just 6.4 minutes. His poor three-point shooting 25.3% almost certainly played a major part in that decrease.
“It was definitely frustrating, but I made sure not to let it affect my body language or energy,” Holland told Coty Davis of the Detroit News. “I don’t regret anything. But not playing in the playoffs has been gnawing at me. Ever since the season ended, I’ve been working to figure out what I can do to improve, so I never end up in this situation again.”
The 2024 lottery pick also said the coaching staff believed he was occasionally overthinking and playing too cautiously, which hurt his performance.
“Coach J.B. (Bickerstaff) and the rest of the staff want me to focus on the things I’ve been saying about becoming a more complete player,” Holland said. “They could tell I was out there trying to be Mr. Don’t-Make-a-Mistake or Mr. Perfect. They noticed that.”
More Pistons notes:
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Detroit has been connected to Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, who averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists over 66 games last season, shooting 47% from the field and 37.9% from deep. While Murphy isn’t the kind of isolation creator teams rely on in the playoffs, he has developed into a reliable three-level scorer who would fit well alongside Cade Cunningham, according to Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press. New Orleans is reportedly seeking three first-round picks in any deal for Murphy, and it’s uncertain whether Trajan Langdon would be willing to match that price.
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Whether Detroit can add another power forward beyond the reported acquisition of John Collins—is one of four unresolved questions facing the franchise this offseason, Sankofa writes (subscription required). The biggest issue remains whether the front office can settle its standoff with restricted free agent Jalen Duren, who has few alternatives outside a sign-and-trade that Pistons leadership has so far refused to consider.
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Ugonna Onyenso expected to be taken by the Wizards with the final pick of last month’s draft. Instead, Detroit traded into the second round to grab him at No. 53. Onyenso officially signed a two-way contract with the Pistons on Monday. “Usually, the team texts your agent before they announce your name. So we were talking about me going 60, and then (NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum) called my name, and I was like, ‘Oh, snap. What’s happening?’” Onyenso told Davis. “The whole draft night was a shock.” The Virginia big man needs to expand his offensive skills, but he drew Detroit’s interest with his shot-blocking he led the ACC in that category last season.
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In case you missed it, the Pistons have agreed to send Caris LeVert to the Bucks as part of a six-team blockbuster trade. You can find full details on that deal here.
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