No. 5: Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite
Ron Holland may be the most divisive prospect in the 2024 class. He was the No. 1 high school recruit according to 247Sports and was headed to Texas before deciding to go the G League route and play for the Ignite. It's fair to say things haven't gone as planned for the former McDonald's All-American.
The Ignite are 2-19 despite being loaded with potentially two top-10 prospects in Holland and Matas Buzelis as well as a pair of other potential first-round picks. Holland was supposed to be the star, but he hasn't played like one, at least not offensively.
The Dallas product is averaging 20.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in 14 G League regular season games, but he's been inefficient, especially from three, and has struggled with turnovers. He's only shooting 24 percent from deep and his assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.2 to 3 is borderline awful.
Defensively is where the 6-foot-8 wing shines right now. With exceptional athleticism, length and quick feet, Holland can easily switch and guard 1 through 4. At times, he can simply be suffocating as a defender. He's averaging 2.5 steals with the Ignite.
Offensively, he's best in transition, where he can easily put his athleticism and explosiveness to good use. He's a better passer when running the floor than when facing a set defense. In the half-court, he can blow by defenders and get to the rim, where he's a good finisher, and he can create contact, as evidenced by his 5 free-throw attempts per game.
The swing skills for Holland are shooting and shot creation. He's not a great iso player and, without a 3-point shot, doesn't function well spotting up. If he doesn't develop either of those skills, he'll have a long career as a great defender and transition force. If he does become a good shooter from three and finds a way to get a bucket on his own, he becomes a young Paul George.
For a team on the Blazers' timeline, it's worth grabbing Holland - he'll still be 18 on draft day - and letting him develop next to Scoot and Sharpe, hoping he completes a wildly athletic 1-2-3 punch.