2024 NBA Draft: 1 crucial skill each player mocked to the Blazers would provide
By Reese Kunz
Ron Holland: On-ball defense
Ron Holland has a wide range of outcomes regarding landing spots on draft day. He’s someone the Blazers could consider with both of their lottery picks, No. 7 and No. 14 if he falls that far. Holland has an elite physical profile with NBA size and athleticism. However, one glaring concern is his lack of shooting, as the G League Ingite forward connected on only 24 percent of his three-point attempts.
The critical skill keeping Holland in consideration as a lottery pick is his two-way upside, as he can be the best defender in the entire draft class. As an agile 6-foot-8 wing with quick hands, Holland could potentially be someone to contain the opposing team’s best player. He also has the positional size to be a versatile defender who can effectively switch between positions one through four.
The Blazers have Matisse Thybulle and Toumani Camara but could use another defensive-minded wing to bolster their wing rotation. This is especially true given the amount of superstar talent in the Western Conference—Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and the list goes on. The more pieces the Blazers can throw at these players to slow them down and give them different looks, the better.