The Pistons have made significant moves to improve their offense before next season, but may have shipped out one of their best shot creators in the process. Marcus Sasser was dealt to the Mavericks this summer and now has a clear runway to becoming the backup point guard in Dallas after the team traded away Ryan Nembhard. With more opportunity, Sasser could easily prove the Pistons wrong and shine in a role he never saw with Detroit.
Marcus Sasser is primed for a breakout
During his time on the Pistons, Sasser never received consistent playing time beyond his rookie season. Even though Sasser’s scoring aggression had a big impact whenever he played, he couldn’t find consistent minutes once the team entered playoff contention. But even as recently as May, Sasser was delivering outsized impact against the Cavaliers in the playoffs.
But Sasser was held back in the Pistons rotation thanks to his relative weaknesses as a defender and playmaker. Throughout a long regular season, Detroit felt that his one-dimensional playstyle would stack up to more losses than wins in their system. But he’s still undeniably an extremely talented scorer and shooter whose unique skillset made him especially effective in the playoffs.
With the Mavericks, Sasser should see more minutes on a rebuilding team. Dallas clearly needs more shooting and scoring on their second unit to keep their offense afloat. And Sasser will be more than eager to fill that role during a contract year.
The Pistons could end up regretting this move
Sasser’s scoring punch and self-creation is still something the Pistons lack outside of Cade Cunningham. Detroit has been searching for other consistent scoring options for years and still doesn’t have anyone who’s consistently shown that ability in the playoffs. Of course, Sasser hasn’t done that yet either but it’s possible he could with a bigger role.
Perhaps the most impressive element of Sasser’s scoring is how he was able to remain effective despite an inconsistent role. For many shooters, consistency is king and it’s difficult to adapt against changing conditions. But Sasser was still able to shoot 41.5% from three last season despite never knowing whether he would even see the floor during a given game.Â
The Mavericks could unlock another level of Sasser with a more consistent role. He should be a direct backup for Kyrie Irving, another small guard whose game is better suited for individual shot creation than playmaking for his teammates. As such, Dallas could have a good system set up to optimize both players when they touch the court.
Sasser has one last opportunity to secure his NBA future in the last year of his rookie contract, but he couldn’t have asked for a better team to make his case. The Mavericks should give him a great fresh start and he can give the Pistons second thoughts about trading him away without ever giving him a proper chance to contribute on a winning team.
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