The Detroit Pistons have leaned into the youth movement this season, and may go even further in that direction after Saben Lee’s big night.
Lee put up eye-popping numbers in his G-League debut, and even though the G-League is not the NBA, it was still impressive.
With the Detroit Pistons struggling to score, having a guy who can get to the rim and finish would be a huge boost to the offense, but is Saben Lee going to get a chance?
Dwane Casey certainly noticed his performance and dropped a hint that Saben Lee might get his chance sooner rather than later:
#Pistons Dwane Casey on Saben Lee's #Cruise performance: "Those are impressive numbers and you look at how that fits into your team. He's got Cade and Killian in front of him, but when he gets his opportunity, he's going to have to take advantage of it."
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) November 7, 2021
Coach Casey mentioned both Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes as the two guys ahead of Saben Lee on the depth chart, but it’s the name he didn’t mention that may give us a glimpse into Lee’s future with the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons: It’s Saben Lee vs. Cory Joseph
We knew that Saben Lee was behind Hayes and Cunningham on the depth chart and nothing has changed there. But it’s really veteran Cory Joseph that Lee is competing with, so the fact that coach Casey didn’t even mention his name is telling.
Joseph has not had a great start to the season, and like most of the team, is struggling to make shots.
But it’s not just that. Joseph dribbles too much, can be a bit of a ball stopper and doesn’t provide the kind of change-of-pace play that Lee does off the bench.
There’s also the fact that the Detroit Pistons are off to a 1-8 start and probably not going to make the playoffs anyway, so they may as well get developmental minutes for the guys who figure to be a part of the future team. Cory Joseph is not one of those guys.
The Pistons’ bench has struggled mightily to score points and Lee may be able to add a spark with his dribble penetration and ability to finish at the rim. Let’s face it, the offense couldn’t be much worse, as the Pistons are scoring like a team from 2004, not one from the modern era.
The change from Saben Lee to Cory Joseph will happen at some point this season and with the Motor City Cruise not paying until Thursday, we may get a glimpse of Lee in the rotation very soon.