Spurs would be crazy not to make this first-round draft selection

With the NBA draft just a couple of days away, there's still plenty of speculation about who the Spurs will select with their two lottery picks, but there's no clear picture as to who could become the newest members of the Silver and Black.

Regardless of who the Spurs make with the fourth and eighth overall picks, there are always some prospects whose ceilings just can't be ignored. There are players who can come in and make an immediate impact on winning basketball, and there is one player in this draft that the Spurs should not pass up on.

Ron Holland, forward, G-League Ignite

Holland was the second-rated prospect in the class of 2023 out of Duncanville, Texas, and chose to go pro to the G-League over collegiate play. The 18-year-old forward has all the tools in place to be one of the best two-way players in the league.

He was highly regarded as one of the top picks in the upcoming draft. However, he suffered a thumb injury in January, and he chose to receive surgery to make a complete recovery ahead of his rookie season.

Outside of the Frenchman Alexandre Sarr, Ron has the highest defensive upside in his class. In his short season with the Ignite, he displayed his versatility in defending around the perimeter. While his footwork could be better, he moves well laterally against shifty guards and can play well in recovery to reject shots from behind.

He stands six-foot-eight with a six-foot-ten and three-quarters wingspan, allowing him to match up with one through four. He can also create havoc in the passing lanes with good defensive instincts and hustle that create turnovers, resulting in 2.5 steals per game, which goes towards a big chunk of his offense.

With the ball in his hands, Holland is highly efficient at getting out in transition by turning defense into offense. He's one of the most explosive athletes in the class, and his long, bursty strides let him get ahead of the pack for showtime finishes. Also, don't expect him to go easy above the rim, as he is not afraid to put anyone on a poster.

Holland is a true slasher who can put the ball on the ground and play downhill basketball to finish around the rim. His explosiveness off dribble handoffs and ability to split the passing lane makes him a threat to punish defenders with his physical drive and force in the paint.

Holland needs work but he's perfect for the Spurs

As a shooter, he's not the most respected, as he only shot 24% from beyond the arc. But it could be due to the fact that he wasn't the most prominent shooter in high school, to begin with, and he didn't have a transition period where he shot from the college line, going straight from high school to the G-League. But his mechanics with a fluid jumper are in place and can be fixed in a league where you live and die by the three-pointer.

This season, Ron struggled as a lead creator, and this is because he went from not being in that role to being the lead advantage creator overnight. He struggled to make decisions in traffic, whether to take a contested shot or kick it to a teammate; Holland's biggest flaw was his decision-making. And in a system where he won't be asked to do the majority of it, it could result in fewer turnovers.

He's yet to develop as a passer, which will have to improve if he continues to be the slasher he was. He must also tighten his handle to protect the ball on dribble drives to the rim. You can see him processing the floor and pre-deciding where his pass will go. In a system where the offense will mostly be designed off of the Wembanyama screen and go, you want all your players to be comfortable making quick passes to the seven-foot-five alien.

While he's yet to become a dominant ball-handler, he's shown plenty of upside in his ability to be shifty with the ball in his hands. He's comfortable creating space using stepbacks and has a good sense of the game to catch defenders off guard and blow by them for easy looks. His handle improved throughout the season, displaying his hard work ethic towards the game.

Lastly, the guy is a true hustler; he leaves everything on the floor, giving 110% on every play. Coach Pop always loves those players who provide maximum effort every minute on the court.

There's no consistency in mock drafts based on where he could end up, but his ceiling could be as high as the top five. The Spurs have not one but two opportunities to get this kid on their team, capitalizing on the need to add much-needed wing depth to a team that lacked a perimeter defensive presence outside of Jeremy Sochan.

The NBA draft begins on Wednesday, June 26th, at 7:00 PM Central, and while we don't know right now what Brian Wright and Pop are thinking of doing, we don't have to wait much longer before the puzzle pieces start coming together.