The Pistons’ only draft pick this year, Chaz Lanier, had a subpar Summer League and has an uphill path towards playing meaningful minutes on the main roster this year. Overall, I would give Lanier’s Vegas outing a C grade. His final stats were 10.4 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 2.2 APG and 0.8 SPG shooting 33% from the field and 36% from three.
Many fans were disappointed with Lanier’s Summer League performance and believe he will be lucky to even make the Pistons’ roster at any point this season. But I can see a path where he’s ready to contribute earlier rather than later, and step into real minutes.
Chaz Lanier has an outside shot at the Detroit Pistons' rotation
It’s worth noting that Summer League is generally an offense-limiting environment. It is a playstyle more similar to the NCAA than the NBA, and shooting percentages suffer across the board as a result. I expect Lanier to get more open looks and potentially convert them at a better rate if he’s able to log some NBA minutes. Playing with the actual Pistons, even if it’s the second or third string, will give him better playmakers than he had on the Summer League roster.
Lanier’s most NBA-ready skill is obviously his shooting. To make a contribution at the NBA level and ever hope to replicate anything close to Malik Beasley’s performance last season, Lanier will need to have the utmost confidence to launch 3s. The threat of shooting at the slightest open look will be even more valuable than a slight increase in efficiency on more cautious shot selection. Lanier already showed flashes of this mentality in Summer League with how often he was willing to shoot 3s, but time spent with Duncan Robinson will only help him harness this skillset more and smartly expand beyond it.
Defense will be crucial to determining whether or not Lanier sees the NBA floor. He’s not known as the strongest defender but will have to hold his own on that end to have any shot on the main roster. Fortunately, the Pistons have a great defensive ecosystem: Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart are defensive playmakers who can erase teammates’ mistakes. Additionally, coach JB Bickerstaff has a reputation for elevating mediocre perimeter defenders to being respectable within his schemes.
Chaz Lanier’s path to the NBA is far from guaranteed at this point, but I think there is a chance he plays some real minutes for the Pistons next season. Based on his shooting mechanics, college tape and mentality, I believe in him as a shooter even at the highest level (especially if he’s receiving kick out passes from Cade Cunningham) but his defense will be the biggest question mark. He’ll likely start the season in the G league but if he can make strides on the less glamorous side of the ball, he could be ready to suit up in the NBA soon.