Pistons coach drops 'awesome' Ron Holland review after Bucks blowout
The Detroit Pistons opened up preseason in impressive fashion with a 120-87 blowout against the Milwaukee Bucks. After falling behind an 18-point deficit in the first quarter, the Pistons battled back the next three periods for the decisive victory. Significant credit was due to rookie Ron Holland II's impact off the bench and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was impressed by his production .
"He was awesome. He came in to be his first NBA game whether it was preseason or not, he was impactful in changing the game and lifting the energy," Bickerstaff explained. "He just knows how to impact the basketball game. You don't have to call plays for Ron. Somehow, someway he's going to impact the game in a positive way. I thought it was a great start for him."
Holland was one of the Pistons' first reserves off the bench. He made an immediate difference hustling for offensive rebounds, playing fast in transition, and stepping up defensively. The 2024 No. 5 overall pick by the Pistons sparked life at Little Caesars Arena off a steal against the Bucks that turned into a breakaway layup in the second quarter.
Holland finished the night with 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 25 minutes of action. There was also a display of selfless play by passing up open shots to feed a teammate for a better look. The Pistons' rookie was easily one of the biggest bright spots in the winning effort by Detroit.
Balanced team effort
The Pistons have preached all offseason the desire to play complimentary basketball as a team. Their Sunday night preseason opener looked exactly like that as they received stellar performances throughout the roster.
Come guard Jaden Ivey led all scorers with 22 points while shooting 6-8 from the field along with 3-3 from deep. Ivey was also a factor from the free throw line as he knocked down 7-9 from the stripe.
The Pistons put on a superb performance offensively as six different players scored in double figures. Detroit shot 46% from the field and assisted on 31 of their 43 made field goals. There was a noticeable amount of ball movement and off-ball cutting by the Pistons to help create more open shots.
The team effort also translated on the defensive end. Detroit limited Milwaukee to 34.9% shooting from the field. The Pistons also forced 24 turnovers by the Bucks which helped them take advantage of their athleticism and speed in transition. Detroit finished with 21 fast break points and 56 points in the paint.
Inactive Pistons
Three players on Detroit's roster were not featured in the preseason victory against Milwaukee. Forwards Tobias Harris, Ausar Thompson, and Bobi Klintman were not active for the Pistons due to separate health ailments.
Harris sat out Sunday while recovering from an illness. The 14-year veteran also missed the team's open practice at Wayne State this past Saturday. Bickerstaff addressed how he sees the team's rotation once Harris returns to the lineup.
"Obviously if Tobias is here, Tobias is a starter. That obviously changes some of it but again, we're going to keep tinkering just so we can get it on film and see the matchups and get some data on it," Bickerstaff stated.
Thompson is still under NBA recovery protocol from the blood clot suffered back in March. Klintman did not suit up because of a right calf contusion he suffered. The coaching staff has not yet disclosed a timeline for the return of either player.
