Through almost half of the regular season, the Pistons have carved out an identity that is reminiscent of old school, hard-nosed Detroit teams of the past. In the modern NBA, what makes this Pistons team stand out is how they uniquely integrate grit and toughness in a league that usually revolves around spacing and perimeter shooting. 

In some ways, the Pistons are a refreshing breath of fresh air, a team that relies on the classic principles of physicality in order to send a message. And for Pistons assistant coach Jarrett Jack, the way he wanted to send a message to second-year forward Ron Holland is through a direct challenge, man-to-man. 

Entering the Pistons’ matchup with the Indiana Pacers last night, Jack ribbed and chided Holland for his supposed inability to dunk off of two feet, insinuating that Holland totes a shallow dunking bag. In traditional Detroit fashion, Holland pushed back on that notion, and he sent a message right back to the Pistons assistant coach with a series of powerful, authoritative slam dunks on Saturday night. 

In particular, Holland soared for one specific rim-rattling dunk that reverberated throughout Little Caesars Arena in the Pistons’ 121-78 win over the heavily injured Pacers. 

“Ask Cade about it,” Holland said after the game. “I told him when coach drew the play up and I knew. I told Cade ‘just throw it, I’m going to go dunk it. I’m going to go dunk the ball.’ With all them and this team, it’s been amazing. This group has been amazing. And that dunk was for Jarrett Jack by the way. He said I can’t dunk off two, and all my dunks came off two tonight. I just want Jarrett Jack to know that.”

Holland confirmed that his coach threw down the dunking gauntlet before the game and that it motivated him to perform in kind against the Pacers. 

“Jarrett Jack challenged me,” Holland reiterated. 

On Saturday night, Holland finished with seven points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, but his impact on the court far exceeds what that stat line can convey. Of course, the Pistons were in the driver’s seat from start to finish against Indiana, but Holland kept applying pressure all game long to ensure that Detroit added to its lead.

To that effect, Detroit accomplished its largest victory of the season, topping the Pacers by 43 points at home in front of a rambunctious crowd. Holland always plays hard defense, and he helped force two of Indiana’s 25 turnovers on the night. 

“It’s really fun,” Holland said. “With this group of guys, we can all go out there and do all kinds of different things. Coach does a great job of helping us stay together. Even nights like this when we’ve got big wins, we need to continue to play together because it’s bigger than this. We are trying to get to the playoffs and bring a championship to this franchise.”

As of late, the Pistons coaching staff has worked with Holland to show him different ways that he can continue to develop, and rebounding has been a focus recently. As a result, Holland has taken a more aggressive approach to hitting the glass, and the gritty forward finished with a half dozen boards against the Pacers. 

In terms of his development, Pistons forward Javonte Green had a sneak peak at Holland a few years back, and he earmarked the young player as a hooper to watch in the years to come. 

“Ron, he’s been good,” Green said. “I seen him in the G-League when he was with the Ignite. I knew he was going to be a good player. Just right now, just maturing like from every day, just seeing how confident he is in himself. You know, just the three ball and then just the cutting and just the defensive end, of course. Just seeing him grow day by day is exciting.”

Holland has earned the respect of his teammates, and there’s a good chance he forced his assistant coach, Jarrett Jack, to put some respect on his two-foot dunking ability as well. 

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