Ron Holland: The San Antonio Spurs' potential next cornerstone

Holland's areas for improvement

The 2024 NBA Draft class, to be entirely transparent, does not have a Wembanyama-like, consensus #1 prospect. Each player near the top of draft boards this year comes with some level of risk, and Ron Holland is no exception. For Holland to reach his ceiling, he'll need to address the following areas for improvement:

Three-point shooting

Holland's most significant risk factor, particularly in the context of the Spurs, is his three-point shooting. He only converted on 25% of his three-point attempts in his season with the Ignite. Meanwhile, the Spurs ended the regular season as the third-worst three-point shooting team in the league this past season.

Were Holland to enter the starting lineup as Wembanyama and Sochan did in their rookie seasons, that unit could quickly prove to be unplayable if they can't reach league-average three-point shooting as a group. But if the Spurs remain patient and perhaps even move one of Holland or Sochan to the bench initially to make room for another shooter in the starting lineup, the eventual payoff could be massive.

Defensive discipline

A player's role and team situation matter just as much as production, and in Holland's case, being thrown into the G League straight out of high school led to some growing pains on defense. Holland's flashes of on-ball defense were ever present, but the Ignite -- and the G League in general -- didn't necessarily grant him endless opportunities to show it. Holland's off-ball awareness and focus throughout defensive possessions are what lapsed the most in his season with the Ignite and are what will require the most immediate improvement on that end of the floor for short-term success.

Depending on how one perceives his season, one could argue that it exposed his overrated defensive aptitude, while others could argue that this served as a head start on understanding NBA-like schemes. If you ask me, I am part of the latter group and believe that he could quickly adapt as an off-ball defender, particularly under Gregg Popovich.

Decision-making

Holland's overall decision-making, be it settling for contested jump shots, throwing wild passes, barreling into defenders or occasionally ball-watching on defense, leaves a bit to be desired. Again, though, role and situation come into play here. Holland shouldered a lead role for a poorly built Ignite team, particularly on offense, and was often given the green light to create something out of nothing. This sometimes led to wow-inducing moments from Holland, but other times it led to moments that will make evaluators (perhaps unfairly) question his feel for the game.