Does Chaz Lanier show signs of a young Klay Thompson? One publication thinks so.
The Detroit Pistons lost a ton of 3-point shooting when they didn’t bring back Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schroder but hope they have the players to replace it, including rookie Chaz Lanier, who has an outside chance at rotation minutes next season.
Lanier recently got a boost of confidence from ESPN, which voted him as one of the potential steals of the draft. As an older prospect with experience and an NBA-ready skill, Lanier hopes to make an impact with his new team sooner rather than later.
But a recent comparison may have taken things a little too far, as Bleacher Report named Lanier as the team’s “Most Disrespected Hidden Gem” which is a reach for a second-round pick who has yet to log an NBA minute. I’ve not seen anyone disrespect Lanier, but people are also rightfully cautious about expecting him to be part of the rotation right away.
Lanier is likely still behind Marcus Sasser on the depth chart, though I am sure he’ll be eager to show he belongs in training camp.
Bleacher Report took it a step further and compared Lanier to one of the greatest shooters of all time, which would certainly be a welcome surprise.
The dream scenario for the Detroit Pistons
Here’s what B/R had to say about Lanier in regard to Thompson:
"Lanier uncorked his jumpers quickly, cleanly, off motion and under duress. There are shades—shades—of Klay Thompson to his half-court relocation and transition trailing and mapping, as well as his pull-up twos.”
Ok, so you’re saying the Pistons drafted the next Klay Thompson, sweet! Let’s call it a day!
Obviously, that is not what was said here, and Lanier has a million miles to go before any such comparison would be valid, as Thompson is one of the greatest NBA shooters of all time.
But if you look at Lanier’s highlights from the NCAA Tournament last season, you’ll see a player with a quick release who can hit shots from just about anywhere and has a good nose for finding space off the ball to get open for shots, similar to Thompson.
Lanier doesn’t waste time getting his shot off and can catch fire quickly, as has always been the case with Klay.
These types of player comps are interesting fodder for conversation even if they are premature, but finding a high-volume 3-point shooter to replace Malik Beasley would be the dream scenario for the Pistons.