DaRon Holmes II spent his first twenty appearances oscillating wildly between brilliant micro-stints off the bench and disastrous stretches when thrust into the starting lineup. During an eight-minute cameo on 12/29 vs MIA, he generated a staggering +6.7 impact score despite scoring just four points, relying entirely on elite defensive activity and relentless rim runs to warp the floor without needing the ball. Giving him a longer leash, however, frequently exposed his offensive limitations. On 01/18 vs CHA, a 26-minute start yielded a brutal -14.3 impact mark. He stubbornly settled for perimeter jumpers instead of attacking the paint, dragging down both his efficiency and the team's defensive structure. He looked far more comfortable returning to a sparkplug role later in the season, notably on 03/06 vs NYK. In that contest, Holmes poured in 11 points in just eight minutes, earning a +4.2 impact score by punishing late rotations with a highly efficient shooting burst. Until he stops falling in love with his outside jumper, his ceiling remains strictly capped as a chaotic, short-burst energy big.