Yesterday morning, the Detroit Pistons once again assigned rookie guard Chaz Lanier to the G League’s Motor City Cruise as a clear sign that he’s too talented to idly rest on the bench. 

Most recently, Lanier enjoyed an elevated role in the Pistons’ 108-93 victory over the Chicago Bulls, and the rookie was part of a Detroit surge in the second half that began on the defensive end of the court. At that time, the Pistons were looking to mount a comeback, and Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff turned to a contingent of Lanier, Javonte Green and Ron Holland to help ratchet up the intensity on defense. 

“Coach JB makes it clear that if you want to play with the Pistons, you have to play hard on defense and really give it your all and be a good team defender,” Lanier said after the game. “So, I've just took that challenge and really worked on it for sure.”

For most of the season, Lanier has played sparingly for the Pistons, but it is clear that he possesses NBA-level talent. Lanier knocked down a pair of three-pointers against the Bulls, and he seems to fit right in with a Pistons squad that thrives on chemistry and rhythm, which isn't easy for the new guy to do.

So, the Pistons recognize Lanier’s talent, and they agree that he’s too skilled to stay on the bench, potentially stalling his development, and he’s rotated back and forth between the NBA and the G-League recently.

“Just going down and playing with the G-League gives me the opportunity to really go out there and get some run and play with that group of guys, go out there, have fun, take my shots, get a lot of good looks, play hard on defense and really just grow my game,” Lanier said. “So, there's definitely a testament to playing with the G-League, for sure.”

Some rookies would see a G-League assignment as an indication that they are not performing at a high enough level, but Lanier knows he is the rare exception instead of the rule. Lanier is not quite ready to break through on one of the league’s best NBA teams in the Pistons, but he’s individually too talented to waste a crucial stage in his development. 

When Lanier was initially sent down to play with the Cruise, the rookie out of Tennessee introduced himself with a clean, crisp 40-piece. Lanier followed up that effort with a 27-point game in his second G-League contest, and he demonstrated what the Pistons already knew– Chaz Lanier can hoop. 

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“He's a high level offensive player," Bickerstaff said. "He just knows how to play offense, and that doesn't leave you. Whether you play or don't play, you see old guys out there still at the rec playing pickup, they still know how to get a bucket, and Chaz is that type of player offensively, but I was more pleased with what he did defensively. He didn't mess up one assignment, one coverage. He got the ball where it was supposed to be. Obviously, the feeling was we needed some space, we needed some shots to go and that's why he went in. But he did that, and then he was a two way player at a high level, also for us.”

Lanier played a bit more against the Bulls since both Cade Cunningham and Caris LeVert were unable to play due to various injuries, and it’s possible that he’s due for another dose of extended minutes if he’s called back up before the Pistons take on the Clippers tomorrow night. 

On that note, the Pistons will host the Clippers for a 7 pm tip-off at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Jan 10. 

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