Marcus Sasser's readiness as a rookie already helping him stand out for Detroit Pistons
Marcus Sasser’s consistency during his four years at Houston was a big reason why the Detroit Pistons prioritized getting him in this summer's NBA draft. That readiness is now helping him stand out two weeks into his pro career.
The 23-year-old point guard is coming off of back-to-back career performances. He set a career high with 19 points — thanks to hitting five of his eight 3-point attempts — against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. He topped that Sunday with 22 points in a career-high 30 minutes against the Phoenix Suns, knocking down his first four 3-point attempts.
He has been a bright spot in the midst of a tough stretch for the Pistons, who have lost four straight games while weathering injuries to four of their best shooters. Sasser has shot at a high clip while arguably being Detroit’s best defender at point guard.
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Head coach Monty Williams has said he’s trying to avoid overwhelming the rookie with too much responsibility. But Sasser has met every challenge so far.
“He works his tail off,” Williams said after the Pistons’ loss Sunday. “He’s always ready to play. He understands when to shoot, when to drive, and he defends. There were times tonight where he was outmatched with a bigger guy, and he just kept fighting. He is the kind of player that we thought he was, and he’s just going to get better.”
Both Williams and general manager Troy Weaver were big fans of Sasser entering the 2023 draft. He was one of college basketball’s best two-way players over his time with the Cougars and was particularly strong as a shooter during his last two seasons. He knocked down 39.9% of his 3-pointers as a junior and senior, on 353 total attempts.
But it was his defense that made him a starter midway through his freshman season; his play on that end of the ball has already impressed Williams. He said before Sunday’s game that Sasser can fit next to any of Detroit’s ballhandlers, thanks to his ability to knock down shots and take defensive pressure off them.
“He’s tough as an old wallet, I’m just telling you,” Williams said. “That kid is not somebody you want to tangle with. You better pack a lunch because Sass, he will not quit. I think that’s what allows for him to do what he’s done
“He’s just one of those guys that if you look at how he got to Houston, he wasn’t even in the top-whatever (ranked players), and he ends up being a first-round pick. You can’t do that if you don’t have some toughness about you and a solid foundation in his family.”
Sasser entered the game averaging 59.3% overall shooting and 56.3% from 3, all while taking care of the ball. Through seven games, he has 18 total assists and just two turnovers. His 9-for-16 performance Sunday will ding his overall percentage, but he did make four of his six 3-pointers.
Over his past two games, he has nine 3s on 14 tries. He credited opposing teams leaving him space to get clean shots off. Though he isn’t sure why teams are conceding space to him, considering he was one of college basketball’s best shooters two years in a row.
“I guess I gotta prove it to them,” he said. “That’s just what I’m gonna do, prove it to them.”
Jaden Ivey missed Sunday’s game with an illness, clearing the way for Sasser to log more minutes than two of Detroit’s starters. The question hanging over his hot start to the year is how his role will adjust as Detroit’s health improves. In addition to Ivey, the Pistons were also without offseason acquisition Monte Morris, who has yet to make his season debut while rehabbing a right quad strain.
Sasser’s defense should keep him on the floor even when his unsustainably hot shooting cools. But as he strings together more complete games, it’ll be tougher to justify leaving him on the bench for long stretches. Williams will have to juggle minutes for not just Sasser, Ivey and Morris, but Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes as well.
It’s a crowded backcourt, and there’s a possibility one of the five will eventually be squeezed out. But it’s a good problem for Detroit to have. Their second first-round pick has been among the NBA’s best rookies so far (as has his draft classmate Ausar Thompson, taken No. 5 overall, who narrowly missed a 5x5 game Sunday — 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and four blocks).
The Pistons are confident that Sasser’s best is still to come.
“It just shows that he’s ready,” Isaiah Stewart said. “He’s consistent and you know what you’re going to get with Sass. You know he’s going to come out and that’s what he’s going to give you every night. He’s going to give you defense, hit shots and get into the ball. It was great to see him have that kind of game today and continue to be who he is.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons getting early returns from rookie Marcus Sasser
