The Detroit Pistons don’t have a lot of intrigue around their rotation, as their starting five is set and they know the four players who will get the most time off the bench. The one battle that is up in the air is for 10th man minutes and both Marcus Sasser and Chaz Lanier staked their claim in the Pistons’ preseason win over the Grizzlies.
Both players finished the game with 11 points and showed the exact things they will need to do to make the rotation. This is a battle that isn’t going away, and I expect both guys to see some minutes at different points next season, especially if they continue to play like they did last night.
Marcus Sasser is not a point guard, but he takes care of the ball
Marcus Sasser is never going to be a pure point guard, but he takes care of the ball and knows how to get buckets, which is what he’ll need to do to be a regular in the rotation.
Sasser mostly looks to set up his own shot, but he looks more the part of a backup point guard than Jaden Ivey, who still plays too out of control.
Sass knocked down 60 percent of his shots and got to the free-throw line five times, something that can be a weapon for him, as he is good at getting defenders off their feet and drawing fouls.
He also added four assists to just one turnover, which is the type of efficiency he’ll need to get backup point guard minutes.
Sasser played some of his minutes with Caris LeVert, which is a bench twist we’ll see more of next season, as LeVert can also make plays, set up Sasser and will offset some of his size issues on defense.
Chaz Lanier can shoot it
Lanier did exactly what he needs to do to make the Pistons’ rotation, which is knock down 3-point shots at a high rate.
Lanier hit 3-of-5 in his 17:50 on the floor, doing his best Malik Beasley impersonation.
We’ve talked about the Pistons’ lack of 3-point shooting, so Lanier has an outside chance to earn minutes if he can knock them down or if the Pistons suffer an injury.
I thought Lanier looked the part, as the rookie already has an NBA frame and actually did a few things on defense which caught my eye.
JB Bickerstaff raved about Lanier in a recent press conference, specifically his off-ball awareness and ability to find space for his shot.
Right now, I’d give the edge to Sasser, who has proven more and been steady for the Pistons, but I wouldn’t rule out some minutes for Lanier this season, as the Pistons need more shooters and the kid can shoot it.