2024 NBA Mock Draft: March Madness arrives, as does Kentucky's backcourt
F. Ron Holland. 9. player. 125. . . G League Ignite. 9. Ron Holland
Ron Holland will miss the remainder of the G League season with a thumb injury, but he's expected to recover in time for a full pre-draft process. His injury, combined with the general struggles of the Ignite program, could cause Holland to fall a bit come June. That said, Holland overcame dire cirumstances to produce at a high level for the Ignite. He was the team's No. 1 scorer, averaging 19.5 points on 46.0 percent shooting despite compressed spacing and a ramshackle playmaking apparatus.
If there was anything close to a No. 1 consensus before the season, it was Holland. The 6-foot-8 Dallas native spurned Texas for the G League, which could end up being a mistake. He's an excellent slasher, complete with a deadly first step and a penchant for hanging finishes at the rim. Holland has even learned to change speeds and harness his pull-up jumper on occasion. The 3-point inefficiency is a concern, however, as is Holland's tendency to get sped up. There are passing flashes, but he will regularly sprint headlong into traffic and cough up the rock. Basketball is a game of possessions at the end of the day.
The defense rocks, however, and Atlanta is a great landing spot on paper. Trae Young's future hangs in the balance, but assuming the Hawks don't pull the plug on their All-Star point guard, it's hard to imagine a better running mate for Holland in the early going. Young can spoon-feed open looks, both at the rim and behind the 3-point line. Holland is also a beast in the open court, an attribute Young can accentuate with hit-ahead passes and his own spritely stylings.