The G League Ignite’s Ron Holland, ranked No. 13 among NBA prospects by ESPN, will enter the 2024 draft, he told ESPN on Tuesday.
Holland, a 6-foot-7 wing out of Duncanville, Texas, averaged 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals for the Ignite this season after decommitting from Texas last spring.
“This season was an opportunity to learn and grow,” Holland told ESPN. “Emotionally, all the losing was draining, but it helped me grow mentally learning my role, how to play and letting the game come to me.”
Holland was No. 2 in the 2023 ESPN 100, lauded for his winning intangibles and competitiveness. He said he plans on reminding NBA scouts of that during the pre-draft process, what with the Ignite having endured a difficult 6-44 season.
“Nothing has changed with me,” Holland said. “I’m still the same competitor who won two gold medals with USA Basketball, won AAU tournaments and state championships, and was on the No. 1 team in high school basketball. I’m going to keep doing what it takes to win games, diving on the floor for loose balls and making 50/50 plays. I can defend every position and [I’ve] improved as a facilitator quite a bit playing with other great players.”
Holland’s season was cut short by a ruptured tendon in his right thumb, forcing him to miss the Ignite’s final 19 games. He nevertheless finished as the second-leading scorer in Ignite’s four-season history.
He said he was cleared for full activity several weeks ago.
The NBA elected to disband the G League Ignite program moving forward, something Holland said surprised him.
“I don’t know why that happened,” Holland said. “Ignite did a lot of good for young guys. I didn’t see anything wrong with the program. Everything they did helped us. There was someone there for everything, knowledge-wise, on and off the court. They taught us how to do interviews, how to write emails, how to live a professional lifestyle. I was surprised the NBA pulled the plug.”
The NBA draft will be held June 26-27 in New York City. The first round will be conducted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, followed by the second round the following day at ESPN’s studio in lower Manhattan.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams.
