As the Ignite has gotten healthier throughout their young season, Holland and company are starting to find their rhythm, going 4-2 since fellow projected lottery pick Matas Buzelis returned to the lineup on Dec. 2. Holland is averaging 19.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season and his teammates point to his mentality as a pillar for him turning his season around.
“He’s a dog,” said Norris Cole, a former two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat and a current Ignite reserve.
“Playing hard and having a motor is a skill and I’d say that’s his top skill. He could be a potential max player because of how hard he plays and works.”
Stepping up as a leader
Ron (@ron2kholland) stayed aggressive and earned his second 30-point game this season!
📊31 PTS / 8 REB / 2 STL pic.twitter.com/kp9lfRYVDr
— NBA G League Ignite (@gleagueignite) December 9, 2023
Many would perhaps consider Holland a happy-go-lucky teenager, someone with a genuine heart who loves to joke around and be with the people he cares for. His sense of humor also bodes well for rallying his teammates together, as Holland has emerged as the Ignite’s undisputed leader this season.
“My number one strength is my leadership,” Holland said. “I’m really just able to control the team and the game. I know how to talk to every single one of my teammates and that comes with being a leader.”
Communicating well and curating his schedule are two ways that Holland has matured since joining the Ignite. Between individual morning workouts, team practice, weights, and evening shooting, basketball dominates Holland’s day.
Recovering well, specifically by meditating, is a main priority that Holland credits the Ignite staff for helping him cultivate a space to recover – physically and mentally.
“That’s another part of this program that they’re teaching me,” Holland said. “They’re teaching me how to be a pro on the recovery side. You can push yourself to exhaustion every single day but you’re going to have to learn to recover and get your mind and body physically and mentally right for you to keep doing that.”
A promising future for Holland
The G League Ignite could see four players selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Current Ignite players-turned-NBA players — such as Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Scoot Henderson — have paved the way for Ignite talent like Holland to be dreaming of the NBA next.
Cole firmly believes Holland will follow in these players’ footsteps, largely due to his passion, work ethic, and athleticism. While Holland has drawn comparisons to NBA legend Shawn Marion and Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges, Cole connects his potential NBA trajectory to a similar Miami stud.
Five points in FIVE SECONDS for @gleagueignite star Ron Holland! ⚡️
Catch the 2024 NBA Draft prospects in action right now on ESPNU. pic.twitter.com/PWzcOPqV65
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 13, 2023
“He’ll do whatever a team asks him to do,” Cole said. “Remember, when Jimmy Butler came into the league, he was a high-motor, defensive athlete. He developed offensively and now he’s a two-way star. If he gets drafted in the right fit, he’ll be one of those high-level max
