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Detroit Pistons Summer League star proves he can have even bigger role than $48m signing Duncan Robinson next season
Credit: Megan Briggs/Nic Antaya via Getty Images

The Detroit Pistons splashed the cash for Duncan Robinson, but they may have a young star who could play his role perfectly.

The Detroit Pistons are on the come-up. After years of being a fledgling NBA team, the Pistons ended their six-year NBA playoff drought.

Cade Cunningham established himself as an All-Star caliber player, proving to be the leader of a young Pistons team that is quite exciting.

But as the offseason came about, the Pistons lost some depth at the guard spot, with Tim Hardaway Jr. joining the Denver Nuggets and Dennis Schroder joining the Sacramento Kings.

Add to that, the Pistons could lose Malik Beasley due to his off-court troubles. To address this, the front office decided to make a big splash in free agency.

The Pistons signed Duncan Robinson to a $48 million contract. But their NBA Summer League team might have a star who can play the exact same sharpshooter role.

Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images

Ron Holland II impresses in NBA Summer League

At the 2025 NBA Summer League, Detroit Pistons star Ron Holland II has been incredibly exciting with his performances.

The #5 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft showed that he is growing as a scorer. In his first three NBA Summer League games, Holland has scored 65 points.

He is really improving as a three-point shooter, going 7-15 from beyond the arc in all three games. On top of that, his perimeter defense has been brilliant, as he averages 4.0 steals per game.

The way he is playing, Holland could be a brilliant choice to start at shooting guard, along with Cade Cunningham.

Unlike Robinson, Holland is a strong defender and could form a great defensive backcourt with Cunningham for the season.

Duncan Robinson could be a pivotal bench player for Detroit Pistons

While the NBA Summer League is no indication of how a player will perform in the regular season, Ron Holland II is showing his improvement compared to his rookie year.

In his rookie season, Holland II shot just 23.8% from beyond the arc and averaged a little more than one steal every two games.

Compare this to his Summer League stats, where he is putting up sensational numbers, perhaps Holland is set for a big leap.

If that is the case, perhaps he could eventually usurp Robinson in the starting lineup. If that happens to be the case, the Pistons will happily bring Robinson off the bench to provide some valuable three-point shooting.

Robinson has proven he can come off the bench and be a great asset to a competitive team during his time with the Miami Heat. So the Pistons may have struck gold in free agency.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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