Top 10 2024 NBA draft prospect Ron Holland will sit out the rest of the G-League campaign to protect his injured right thumb, according to Andscapes Marc J. Spears.
Ingite forward Ron Holland told @andscape at the latest taping of his season diary today that he will miss rest of season out of caution to protect his injured right thumb. The elite 2024 NBA Draft prospect is expected to make a full recovery and have a full pre-draft involvement pic.twitter.com/D7i9DIBZrq
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 17, 2024
Spears said Holland is expected to make a full recovery and will have complete involvement with the pre-draft cycle.
NBA Rumors: Top 10 2024 Draft Prospect Ron Holland Done For Season
Holland was having an outstanding season before injuring his thumb against the Iowa Wolves on Jan. 31. The 18-year-old, ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the 2024 draft by ESPN, was leading the Ignite in several categories. He averaged a team-high 19.5 points with a shooting slash line of .460/.240/.728 in 29 games. Holland also topped the squad with 2.3 steals a game while grabbing 6.7 rebounds (1.6 offensive) and 2.9 assists.
Holland had upped his production during the G-League regular season after a solid G-League Showcase Cup. He produced two of his three double-doubles during the regular season while scoring in double-figures on 26 occasions, including 16 games of 20+ points and four 30-point efforts.
Holland told Spears that he plans to finish the season on the Ignite’s roster as an injured player.
“I’m at peace with where we’re I’m at my career,” Holland told Andscape. “And I feel like all the games that I played this season, I’ve done really good. I’ve grown a lot. I’ve learned a lot about the game and, about myself and just about life. I’ve put enough energy and effort into the right amount of film out there for me to say I’m able to be a top-10 draft pick.
“With my injury, obviously, I wanted to finish the season off, but God has a plan for everything and everybody. And I feel like, it was my time. It was his plan for me. I’m not going to really hold my head down about it. I’m going to have a speedy recovery. And when it’s time for me to step back on the court, I’m going to be ready and prepare for the draft.”
What The Film Says
Holland is far from a finished product, but he has shown he is a legitimate top NBA prospect with the Ignite. He has been relatively efficient offensively, creating offense from his defense and getting into the paint. His athleticsm and length are his biggest attributes.
The 6-8 forward does have to learn how to finish better at the rim, although he has shown the toughness to finish through contract. He also has demonstrated the ability to be a bull when going downhill and does have a nice touch around the rim.
Holland does have to improve his ball-handling and 3-point shooting. However, he does have an excellent quick release and some range on his jumper. Plus, Holland is already an elite on-ball defender and a quick jumper, which helps him on the boards and erasing opponents’ shots.
So, yeah, Holland is an elite NBA prospect. And no, the injury will not affect his draft status. This was just the case when Scoot Henderson, last year’s No. 3 draft pick, was shut down in mid-March to protect his health. Henderson played two years with the G-League Ignite.
Henderson got off to a slow start to the season for the Portland Trail Blazers but has consistently improved over the last three seasons. While he struggles to shoot the ball, Henderson is off to a fantastic start to February with 18.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has Holland going No. 4 to the Charlotte Hornets in his latest mock draft.
