Detroit Pistons: 3 players primed to have a breakout 2021-22 season
Detroit Pistons: Saben Lee can step up on both ends of the floor
Saben Lee was the 38th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. A draft-night trade sent him to Detroit via the Utah Jazz. The pandemic limited the point guard’s opportunities for playing time as he was not able to transition between the Detroit Pistons and the G-League.
Lee was solid in 48 games played with Detroit. A modest 5.6 points per game and 3.6 assists per game on 16.3 minutes per game overshadow just how well the point guard performed as a rookie.
While he was slightly below average as a three-point shooter, Lee’s 34.8 shooting percentage from beyond the arc shows optimism for improvement as he develops.
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Lee also assisted on nearly a third of his teammates’ buckets when he was on the floor. His 33.2 assist percentage was good for second on the team. He was just behind Cory Joseph who tallied a 33.7 assist percentage. Joseph did so in a much smaller sample size of 19 games in Detroit.
If Lee can continue to develop as both a playmaker and a shooter, he will thrive in Detroit’s offense. It is likely the 22-year-old will find himself paired with Killian Hayes and Cade Cunningham in multiple lineups throughout the season. Becoming an improved shooter, especially off-ball will help Lee gel with Detroit’s lead ball-handlers.
In situations where Lee is running the offense, he has shown he is a reliable playmaker, albeit in limited minutes last season.
Lee is looking to become a defensive stopper on the perimeter. The 22-year-old has been quoted as saying he wants to be the type of player who picks up the best guard on opposing teams.
Saben Lee: "Being a hound defensively, guarding the best guards, is something I want to do."
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) October 2, 2021
Effort is a major factor in how a player performs on the defensive end. Athleticism, strength, and defensive IQ all factor into defense as well, but effort is often the major qualifier in good defenders. Effort can be what helps players achieve the strength and IQ necessary to be great defenders after all.
Lee has the athleticism. If he can put in the work to gain the muscle and defensive IQ necessary to be a superb perimeter defender, there is no reason to believe he will not succeed in his goal. Getting the IQ and strength could take some time for Lee, but as far as being a nuisance on the defensive end, he has the ability to do that now
On offense, Lee probably will not see too large of an improvement on last year’s numbers. He could potentially reach close to 10 points per game and 5 assists per game, but with Hayes and Cunningham in the mix, he will be limited in his offensive role.
On defense, Lee can carve a major role for himself. If he can be the type of player who relentlessly defends his opponents, Lee could play himself into Detroit’s defensive lineups. As a potential breakout defensive player for Detroit, Lee could become a key contributor to Detroit building one of the NBA’s top defenses.