DaRon Holmes Scouting Report

A starting caliber big hiding in plain sight

Rich Stayman

Jun 26, 2024

Name: DaRon Holmes II

Birth date: August 15, 2002

Height/Weight: 6’9/221

Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’0 ½/ 9’1

Hand size: 9 ½

Position: PF/C

Pre-Draft team: Dayton

Tools: Feel for the game, floor vision, P&R roll-man, intangibles

Background: 3 time All A-10 member. A-10 POTY and DPOY in 2024, 3 time All A-10 Defense member. Attended the 2023 NBA Draft Combine before withdrawing from the Draft. Has a younger brother that is rising in the recruiting rankings.

Season stats: 20.4 PPG 8.5 RPG 2.6 APG 1 SPG 2.1 BPG 2.2 TOPG 2 FPG on 54/38.6/71 in 32.5 MPG.

Pros:

Sees the floor well, particularly out of the post, and can bring the ball up the floor
Has a beautiful spin move off the catch
Fundamental P&R target; uses high hands and is always ready for passes. Rolls well as well and does tons of damage out of screens
Has a decent handle and can attack from the perimeter
Has a good up-fake and jab step out of the triple threat
Thrives off of horns sets and 2 man games
Intelligent player who picks up feedback and can apply it quickly
Has a great motor and wins plays most other players won’t try

Cons:

Awkward dribbling motion; almost dribbles with his shoulders
Needs to do a better job of keeping his balance against contact at the rim out of drives (Loyola Chicago upset loss in March)
Mediocre frame; a bit of a tweener

Swing Skills:

How much does he need a jump shot, and how will his jumper translate?

Summary:

DaRon Holmes is one of the top producers per possession, given how slow Dayton ran their offense (334th ranked tempo per KenPom). Holmes per 100 possessions stats are on par with some of the best players in college basketball: 38.8 PPG 16.2 RPG 5 APG 1.8 SPG 3.9 BPG. On top of this, Holmes was one of 8 players with a BPM of 11+, and had the second best block rate of players in this group behind only Donovan Clingan (and above Zach Edey).

Away from the stats, it’s easy to see why teams are so high on Holmes as a sleeper to add to a playoff core right away. He has a great work ethic and from what I have been able to gather from sources, and his ability to learn and apply what he learns is second to none. He also is a growing shooter with respectable numbers as his form continues to be tinkered with, which gives him flexibility offensively as either a 4 or 5. With an ability to thrive as a pick & roll and pick & pop threat, he will be able to create easy scoring opportunities with ease next to NBA level playmakers and in NBA sets.

Defensively, he is intelligent and creates activity, highlighted by his impressive 7 BLK%. With a good motor, he wins plays many others do not even attempt, and thus he puts himself in winning positions without fouling or recklessly defending. The biggest improvement Holmes can make on defense is to improve his balance as he adds more muscle. Too often when defending on-ball, he was pushed off of his spot against A-10 competition. In the NBA, when going against starting level bigs who are bigger, stronger, and more skilled, Holmes will have to better hold his own physically to win more often with his intelligence.

Overall, Holmes is a heady player who may not be the most aesthetically pleasing player to some scouts because of a lack of flair to his game, sometimes awkward dribbling motion, and slow tempo at Dayton, but he gets results in an efficient manner. Holmes’ ability to make his team and teammates better every time from when he enters the court to leaving the court is impressive, and will translate up with ease, especially if he gets drafted to a playoff team that can use him right away.

Projected draft range: 19-28

Expected role: Versatile big in terms of role every night: can play as the 5 on both ends of the floor, or can be a perimeter-oriented big with an inside out game that makes plays happen.

Unplayable if: Hard to become unplayable, but a worst case scenario comes from him being a tweener on both ends and if his jumper doesn’t consistently fall.

Exceeds expectations if: Jump shot becomes consistent and he improves defensive consistency while finding a true defensive role.