Pistons have secret weapon no one will see coming

The Detroit Pistons’ bench has been struggling to generate offense of late and could use a boost of shooting from an unlikely source, rookie Chaz Lanier. 

The Cavs nearly doubled the Pistons in 3-point makes in last night’s loss, and though it is not time to panic, it’s been a common theme of late, as Detroit has hit a bit of a wall when it comes to shooting, especially from the bench. 

Daniss Jenkins has been in a slump, Caris LeVert continues to be ineffective, and even though Javonte Green has played consistently well all season, he’s not a guy who is going to score a ton of points. 

Ron Holland II isn’t going to provide 3-point shooting and coach JB Bickerstaff has been reluctant turn to Marcus Sasser or Kevin Huerter to try and provide a spark. 

With the Pistons looking tired after a brutal stretch of the schedule, it may be a time to inject some life and fresh legs into the rotation. 

Why not give Chaz Lanier a shot? 

Since coach Bickerstaff won’t even try Sasser or Huerter for some shooting, it’s highly unlikely he’s going to call up rookie Chaz Lanier, but his 3-point shooting is something the Pistons could definitely use. 

Lanier is shooting just under 40 percent in the G-League on nearly nine attempts per game and was drafted precisely because his shot was NBA ready. 

Lanier is not a standard rookie, as he’s already 24 years old, so isn’t completely inexperienced and hasn’t looked overwhelmed by the moment in his brief run this season. 

I’m not calling for wholesale change, but the Pistons do look dead offensively right now and could use some kind of spark from somewhere. 

Every good team needs unexpected contributions in the dog days of the season, and the Pistons have already gotten mileage out of Daniss Jenkins, so why not Lanier? 

This isn’t an overreaction to a couple of losses against two of the best teams in the NBA, especially when nine of their last 10 games were against playoff contenders including the Hornets (hottest team in the NBA), Knicks (x2), Spurs, Thunder and Cavs (x2).  

The Pistons were shorthanded for almost all of this stretch, so it makes sense that their legs looked tired on defense last night late in the game. 

It seems like the perfect time to try and inject some new life into the offense with fresh legs, which will also reduce the wear and tear on the regulars the Pistons need for the playoffs. 

The Pistons have enough continuity at the top of the rotation to experiment around the fringes to see if they can find a spark. 

Lanier is a player no one would see coming who could give the Pistons a lift in the home stretch.