The Detroit Pistons have had players on the All-Rookie Team in three of the last four seasons, but have not had a serious contender for Rookie of the Year.
Trajan Langdon selected Ron Holland II with his first overall draft pick as Pistons president, a surprising choice that swung upwards and did not take into account the need.
Some have questioned whether Holland was the right choice given Detroit’s need for shooting, but when you’re coming off a 14-win season and are selected in the top five, you can’t make your pick based on need, you have to go for elite talent.
The Pistons are hoping to have found one in Ron Holland, who definitely has confidence in him, as revealed in a recent interview with Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. Ron Holland said his goal is to win Rookie of the Year.
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Sure, every rookie says that, but does Holland really have a chance?
According to DraftKingsHolland is a +2000 outsider to win Rookie of the Year, with Zach Edey (+600), Reed Sheppard (+700), Zaccharie Risacher (+750), Alexandre Sarr (+900), Stephon Castle (+1000), Matas Buzelis (+1000), Dalton Knecht (+1000), Carlton Carrington (+1500), Donovan Clingan (+1600) and Rob Dillingham (+1700) ahead of him in the odds.
As you can see, Holland has a lot of competition and the race for Rookie of the Year should be pretty wide open, although Edey has the better chance.
But Holland won’t just be competing with his fellow rookies, he’ll have plenty of competition for minutes on his own team and might not even start the season in the rotation.
While some players with better RoY ratings could have an impact role on good teams (Dillingham, Knecht, Edey), others could have an important role on bad teams (Buzelis, Carrington, Clingan).
It’s unclear whether Holland falls into either of those categories, because the Pistons probably aren’t good, and even if they aren’t, Holland might not have a huge role right away.
That will make his quest for Rookie of the Year difficult, as he’s competing against a group of evenly matched rookies who could have a leg up in terms of roles and minutes.
