The Pistons have Marcus Sasser running the second unit during training camp
Entering his third year in the league, all with the Detroit Pistons, point guard Marcus Sasser is looking to seize control of the backup point guard spot in Motown this season. Last year, Dennis Schroder primarily occupied that role as Detroit made a charge for the postseason, but Schroder signed with the Sacramento Kings during the offseason, so those minutes will need to be filled by someone else– and that someone looks to be Marcus Sasser.
“I'm just very confident going in,” Sasser said during Media Day. “Confident and aggressive mindset, being a leader, you know, as a point guard I'm gonna run the floor.”
Last year, Sasser played in 57 games for the Pistons, and he flashed signs of offensive creativity with explosive drives to the paint, clever dribbling and plus-handles. Particularly, Sasser shines in the isolation game and is well-equipped to take a player off the bounce. Still, Sasser only averaged 14.2 minutes per night to work with, but he exhibited positive qualities to work with amid a still-developing game.
Now, Sasser is looking to take control of Detroit’s second unit since Schroder is no longer part of the squad.
“I run a group, the second group,” Sasser said. “So, [I’ve been] just using my voice out there during training camp, being demanding, and then just being first in everything, being the leader, showing my team… you can depend on me to carry the team and control the team and lead the team.”
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For much of the offseason, the Pistons have looked to replace a trio of veterans that departed from the organization in Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Marcus Beasley. Schroder was the secondary ball handler and was leaned on a lot when Cade Cunningham needed a breather, so Sasser could be transitioning into a very important role for Detroit.
In preparation for that responsibility, Sasser mentioned that he’s been watching tape on guards of a similar profile and build so that he can learn from other successful guards across the NBA. From that list, TJ McConnel, Andrew Nembhard and Drue Holiday have been Sasser’s primary study points, and learning from such accomplished vets has helped him understand what shots will and won’t be available in the Pistons offense this season.
“Just knowing where my spot’s at,” Sasser said. “I kind of feel like that's why my numbers went up from my rookie to second year because I kind of knew where I was getting my shots at. So this summer, that's something I kind of took a big focus on, knowing where I'm gonna get my shots at, when I can shoot it, knowing when to pass, knowing to be aggressive, and then, just like I said, it just comes with time and experience. So, I should be ready. I'm ready for this season for sure.”
During the summer, the Pistons picked up Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson in free agency, and the former is capable of running the offense. According to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who was with LeVert for a short stint in Cleveland, the new Pistons guard could run the offense fluidly if he was asked to. However, Detroit also has Jaden Ivey on the roster, and he’s shown signs of dictating the Pistons offense as well when Cunningham is on the bench, so perhaps there will be some competition with Sasser for that backup point guard spot this season.
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