The Detroit Pistons are perpetually in need of 3-point shooting, so chose Chaz Lanier in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, a player some have compared to Malik Beasley for his ability to catch and shoot the long ball.
JB Bickerstaff raved about Lanier in a recent press gaggle during practice when he made a bold prediction about the rookie, saying, “There is going to come a point in time in his career where he has 30 points and only dribbled the ball four times.”
Obviously, there is bit of hyperbole at play here, but coach Bickerstaff backed up his claim by talking about Lanier’s movement without the ball, his instincts and how quickly he picks things up.
Coach Bickerstaff added, “he’s unbelievable at reading the game, knows spacing on the floor... he’s got that type of off-ball feel and awareness and ability to shoot the ball.”
Lanier will have a hard time cracking the Pistons’ rotation next season, but he does have a glimmer of hope that he can seize.
The Detroit Pistons need shooting
If Chaz Lanier is able to get minutes in the Pistons rotation this season, let’s hope it’s because of his lights out shooting and not because of an injury, but Detroit does lack depth in one area, and that’s shooting.
Other than Duncan Robinson, the Pistons don’t have a proven volume 3-point shooter after watching Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. depart this offseason. This leaves the Pistons incredibly vulnerable if something were to happen to Robinson, as they just don’t have another guy who is going to strike fear into defenses from beyond the arc.
That leaves an opportunity for Lanier, who may be able to earn spot minutes on the fringes of the rotation if he shoots well and shows he can at least hold his own on defense.
Marcus Sasser will also be vying for that spot, but his time with the Pistons could be short lived if they don’t pick up his team option, so the Pistons may have minutes for a 3-point specialist next season, especially if there is an injury.
Lanier was one of the most high-volume long-range shooters in college basketball last season, hitting 40 percent of his 8.2 attempts per game for Tennessee. It sounds like the shooting will translate, as Lanier is already very good at running off screens and getting it up quickly.
It may come down to the rest of his game, specifically whether he can compete enough on defense, so these training camp practices with Sasser are sure to be competitive.
It would be great if the Pistons could develop an efficient volume 3-point shooter, as they are always going to be needed and they have Lanier on a cheap deal that could make him very valuable if he contributes at all.