The Pistons offense has struggled heavily so far in their first-round playoff series and devolved into a one-man show in the worst way, but the simplest solution could be waiting on the end of their bench. Detroit guard Marcus Sasser has only played one total minute so far in the series, but his shooting could completely turn things around. Sasser is one of the few players on the team who is a reliable shooter from outside, and he should see some playing time if Detroit's other perimeter players continue to provide no help.
Marcus Sasser is worth a shot at this point
Sasser struggled with injuries this season, but still shot very well from deep. He finished the year averaging 41.5% on three-pointers, the best mark on the team. Of course he has his other limitations - namely his size on defense - but Sasser should get his name called if shooting is what the Pistons desperately need.
Not only is Sasser a good shooter off the catch, but he can also create his own looks with his dribble. Sasser has a tight handle and the confidence to shoot threes off stepbacks and combination moves. Rolling out a player with that versatile shooting arsenal could help the Pistons get back to succeeding with their normal offensive sets too.
The Pistons have been yearning for any level of shooting in this series so far. Through 4 games, they are hitting just 27.5% of their threes. Even the best shooters, such as Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter, haven't shown the confidence to take enough threes to change the game.
That's exactly where Sasser comes in perfectly. He's never been accused of lacking confidence; Sasser shot almost 3 threes per game this season in just 12 minutes per game. Give him any playing time and he will take advantage of potential openings to launch shots from outside.
Playing Sasser will benefit other players too
With Sasser taking (and hopefully making) some threes, the paint should be cleared up for other Pistons to attack the rim. Their bread-and-butter in the regular season was a pick-and-roll between Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, but that's dried up in the playoffs as the Magic have keyed in on Duren. Hopefully Sasser's shooting threat could help Duren get back into a rhythm.
Defensively, Sasser does have some weaknesses due to his size but he always competes well and does have good hands to create steals. If he's matched up against the Magic's biggest wings like Paolo Banchero, the Pistons will have problems. So Detroit will need to be on a string to cover up for Sasser if they choose to put him on the court in meaningful minutes.
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