Las Vegas — For many teams, the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas provides an opportunity to finalize the later part of their regular-season rosters while also offering hope to prospects still looking to secure a position in the league.
The Detroit Pistons recognized that most of the players participating in the 2K26 Summer League tournament would be focusing on their individual success. However, Trajan Langdon’s lone request for players representing the franchise was to stay true to the Pistons’ brand of basketball.
Friday afternoon inside Cox Pavilion, the Pistons met Langdon’s desires by playing unselfishly, getting up and down the court while sticking to the team’s defensive identity. The challenge led to Detroit opening its Summer League schedule with a 104-86 win over the New York Knicks.
“To start the game, we were awesome (at playing Detroit Pistons basketball),” guard Daniss Jenkins said. “We did a solid job. Not a good job. I think we could be better. But that is our mindset. We are trying to create turnovers and show our grit. That’s all we are trying to do.”
Ron Holland II revealed why Langdon considers the second-year forward the hardest-working player of the summer. He scored a game-high 28 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and four made 3-point field goals. He closed the third quarter with a deep triple, which ended an 18-point period.
Holland also demonstrated his two-way potential by grabbing 11 rebounds, but his most significant production came on the defensive end. With three steals, he set a defensive tone that led to the Pistons taking an early 16-point lead, forcing the Knicks to commit a dozen turnovers during the first half.
“Ron is a dawg,” Jenkins said. “Whatever the defense is going to give him, he is going to take it. He isn’t afraid of competition. He isn’t afraid to take shots. Ron proved that he is going to be tough to deal with.”
Detroit capitalized on New York’s mistakes due to their solid offensive outing. While Holland took center stage, he was joined by two-way prospects Daniss Jenkins and Tolu Smith, who finished with 18 points and 16 points, respectively.
Smith added a double-double with 11 rebounds to go along with two blocks and a steal. Jenkins produced three assists, two blocks and a steal.
“Most of the guys we played with today were in the G League together,” Smith said. “It was a great feeling. The continuity was there. We were flowing really good. We were meshing well together. Adding Ron to that group just made it a lot easier.”
It was a wire-to-wire win for the Pistons as all five starters scored in double figures. Bobi Klintman finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Chaz Lanier made his debut but struggled to find his footing. He added 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting, 2-of-7 from behind the arc.
Second-year forward Pacome Dadiet led the Knicks with 17 points.
Observations and notes vs. Knicks
▶ Holland takes the lead as Detroit’s facilitator: In addition to his shooting, Holland has spent the bulk of the offseason working on his decision-making and playmaking attributes.
He finished the game with two assists, but the final number does not demonstrate the improvements he has made. There were several moments when Holland gave up a shot in an attempt to find a teammate for a better opportunity. One of his best moments came at the 5:29 mark of the second quarter. After recording his third steal of the half, Holland connected with Jenkins on an open 3-point field goal.
▶ Showing support in Las Vegas: A good portion of the Pistons’ main team was in attendance to show their support in Las Vegas: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Paul Reed, Duncan Robinson, Marcus Sasser and Isaiah Stewart.
“It was great to see those guys,” Smith said. “We have spent a lot of time with them over the past few weeks. To see them coming out and showing their support and encouraging us, it was a great feeling overall.”
▶ Turnovers might have been Detroit’s most significant issue: Although the Pistons won in blowout fashion, they did not play a perfect game.
There were times when Detroit struggled to take care of the ball. The Pistons recorded 12 turnovers in the first half; however, the Knicks were unsuccessful at capitalizing on their mistakes, contributing only six points. The halftime adjustment led to the Pistons correcting their turnover woes, as they recorded only five in the second half.
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