Pistons Rookie Impacts Tight Game 3 vs. Knicks

NBA rookies aren’t known for bringing massive positive impact to the postseason. This was seen in Zaccharie Risacher’s abysmal two-game sample in the Play-In, as well as numerous other rookies hitting the bench entirely in the first round.

Ron Holland — Detroit's fifth overall pick at the 2024 NBA Draft — has somewhat fallen into that second category. With a somewhat wild and unpredictable game, it’s not a given his minutes would go well, and he saw just 11 minutes combined in the first two games versus the Knicks.

On Thursday, though, with Detroit unable to get within arm’s reach of New York, head coach JB Bickerstaff turned to Holland for 12 full minutes. And the rook certainly made the most of his time.

His stat-line wasn’t necessarily flashy — six points on 0-for-2 shooting from the field — as well as two rebounds and a block. But Holland’s impact was largely found in his foul-drawing — he hit all six of his free throws — as well as his stingy point-of-attack defense that he’s shown all season.

All-in-all, Holland finished with a +7 plus-minus off the bench, joining Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren as the only players in the positive. Detroit wasn’t able to come away with a win — falling behind 2-1 in the series with a 118-116 result — but Holland’s performance encouraging.

On the year, he’s gone under the radar as an impactful player, posting just 6.4 points per game, but doing so with force on the defensive end.

There’s still no guarantee Holland can provide a consistent positive punch in the postseason. With the tightness of Detroit and New York’s games so far, it’s simply not worth it to throw out a player who could cause a massive swing with inexperience. But Holland’s impact has, in the least, shown he’ll likely be a large part of the team’s core moving forward.

Detroit and New York will play a crucial Game 4 at noon on Sunday, April 27.