Javonte Green didn’t just give the Pistons a lift in their first win of the season - he may have changed the conversation around Ron Holland II in the process.
Detroit’s comeback against the Celtics came after a 22-point hole and a big night from Paul George, but the spark arrived when Green checked in. The Pistons went on a run right away, and they never really let the pressure off after that.
Head coach JB Bickerstaff saw John Collins getting beaten on switches all night, so he went to Green. The move paid off. Green didn’t just help slow down Paul George; he also scored 19 points and knocked down 5-of-8 from 3-point range.
That’s the part that matters most for Detroit. Green already brings the stuff teams value on defense - active hands, deflections, disruption - but he added a perimeter threat in this one, and that made him a major factor in the second-half turnaround.
For Holland, the night went the other way. He played only three minutes and did not get back in after halftime. He picked up two boneheaded fouls almost immediately, missed his lone 3-point try and never found a way back into the rotation.
One game doesn’t decide anything, and Holland is still going to play for this team. But if the shot isn’t there, those minutes start to look more and more available for Green, who hit 38 percent of his 3s last season and was especially dangerous from the corner.
Both players can defend and both can make things happen on that end, but Green gives Detroit more on offense right now. That makes him easier to deploy against bigger wings without leaving the Pistons short-handed at the other end.
Green won’t catch fire like this every night. Still, he proved he’s a threat, and right now Holland is not.
So while Holland is still part of the picture, performances like this make the roster math more complicated. They also make it easier to imagine Detroit weighing his place on the team down the line, especially with $11.5 million due next season.
After a win, there’s no need to overstate it. But Green looked like one of the league’s underrated 3-and-D role players, and the Pistons don’t walk out of this one without him.
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Dalton Knechts release by the Lakers before his third season is a reminder of how quickly a young player can slide from promising to vulnerable when the fit stops working. Lanier is facing a similar kind of pressure in Detroit, where the margin for error is shrinking and the competition for a spot is getting tighter by the day. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics New Starter Sparks Early Concern In Pistons Season Opener
Mitchell Robinsons Celtics debut as a starter took an uneasy turn in the opening game of the 2026-27 season when the big man rolled his left ankle while fighting for a rebound against Jalen Duren. Robinson grabbed at the ankle and left the floor briefly with visible pain, but he did come back before being subbed out again.
For the Pistons, it was the sort of early-season collision in the paint that can quickly become a storyline if a key opponent is dealing with a leg issue. Boston has not yet offered an official update on Robinsons status for the rest of the game, leaving the team and its fans waiting to see whether the scare turns into something more serious. [Read more 🡒]