The Detroit Pistons started the season with several injuries, including guard Marcus Sasser, who has yet to play and may not again for the Pistons.
Sasser has been out with a hip injury, which is apparently much worse than originally expected (shocker!) as the Pistons announced, Sasser would be re-evaluated in four weeks, which is generally a bad sign for a team that has never been forthright about injuries.
It’s a shame for Sasser, who would likely be solidly in the rotation right now with Jaden Ivey out, and it’s also a shame for the Pistons, who gave Sasser a vote of confidence by picking up his team option for next season.
Given what we know about the Pistons and how they report injuries, this could be the end of Sasser’s time in Detroit.
Detroit Pistons injuries: Marcus Sasser may be finished in the Motor City
I hate to be pessimistic, as I’ve always liked Sasser, and the Pistons could certainly use him right now, but that might not be the case by the time he’s ready to play again.
On this current timeline, Sasser won’t even be evaluated until the middle of December and by then, the Pistons could be fully healthy.
Jaden Ivey should (we hope) be back by then, and Caris LeVert is already showing signs of being right after his injury.
With Javonte Green playing solid defense in the role of unsung hero this season, there may not be any minutes available for Sasser when he returns. We can’t predict what will happen between now and then, but if the Pistons are fully healthy, Sasser could be pushed out of the rotation entirely.
There’s also the chance the Pistons make a trade at some point before the deadline, and Sasser could be used as a sweetener as a guy who has shown he can score and is on a reasonable deal for next season that will pay him just over $5 million.
If you are some tanking team trading away a star player for picks and parts, Sasser could be the kind of guy to take a flyer on, as he’s cheap and there are no long-term obligations.
Let’s hope Sasser gets healthy sooner rather than later, but if he’s not back until Xmas time, his potential spot in the rotation may have disappeared, which would put him on the trade block.
It’s a shame for Sasser who would have had his first chance at real NBA minutes as a role player on a good team, but instead is watching from the bench.