The Detroit Pistons have made their share of draft mistakes, which is one of the reasons they have been mired in years of miserable losing and mediocrity.
It’s arguably the biggest reason, as the list of notable Pistons’ draft misses is long, which is true for most teams, but Detroit has been particularly unlucky or bad, however you want to look at it.
They hope that is changing before our eyes, as Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey both look to be making leaps, Ausar Thompson looks like the real deal (we need him back) and rookie Ron Holland II has already had some impressive moments.
But Troy Weaver made plenty of mistakes as GM of the Pistons, one of which was trading up to select Marcus Sasser in the 2023 NBA Draft.
It’s a choice that was baffling then and looks even worse now.
Detroit Pistons draft picks: 2023
The Pistons had the 31st pick in the 2023 draft to go along with their standard 5th. Picks in this range are always a crapshoot, so no one expected Troy Weaver to find a star, but they did expect him to do something that made sense.
He drafted 23-year-old Marcus Sasser to join a roster already heavy with younger and more talented guards, which didn’t make much sense, especially considering his size and concerns about his point-guard skills.
This has little to do with Sasser as a player, as I like parts of his game, but more about his fit on a roster that already had two young guards and had just added Ausar Thompson.
The Pistons gave up the 31st pick along with two future 2nd-rounders to move up to 25th, a move they almost certainly didn’t have to make, as Sasser wasn’t being projected that high anyway, and if someone else takes him, oh well, you move on.
You don’t move up to take a guy who might have been there when you picked at 31, it’s just a poor use of assets unless you really like the player or he fits a distinct need. I’d rather have those second rounders back now that Trajan Langdon will be the one using them.
There were also plenty of guys taken after Sasser who are currently playing roles on better teams. Julian Strawther is in Denver’s rotation, Ben Sheppard in Indiana’s and Andre Jackson Jr. is getting at least some minutes with the Bucks.
GG Jackson is hurt but looks like a future star after his surprise breakout last season.
Meanwhile, Marcus Sasser can’t get off the bench for the Detroit Pistons, and there really isn’t a viable path to minutes that doesn’t involve an injury.
Even with Ausar Thompson sidelined, Sasser isn’t in the rotation, so you have to question whether they would have been better off grabbing some center depth or a younger, project wing with that pick.
Hopefully, Sasser will step up if called upon, but until then, he’s looking more like a sweetener in a low-level trade than a guy who is part of the Pistons’ future, especially since Langdon was not the one who chose him and won't hesitate to make a deal.