If Jalen Hood-Schifino was drafted for his ability to make shots, Marcus Sasser was drafted for his ability to prevent players from making shots. One of the best defenders in the country in his final season with the Houston Cougars, Sasser was selected 25th by the Detroit Pistons in last year’s draft.
The Pistons didn’t have many bright spots last season, but Marcus Sasser was one of them. In a season where they outright gave up on 2020 lottery pick Killian Hayes and continued to be disappointed by the growth of 2022 Top-5 pick Jaden Ivey, Sasser was a rotation piece from the jump.
On offense, Sasser understood his role and was a high-volume catch-and-shoot player, launching 3-point shots and hitting them at a solid 37.5 percent clip. The Pistons are without shooters on their roster, so Sasser’s impact has been invaluable. It was difficult to excel defensively on a team as bad as Detroit, but Sasser competed and looks to be a long-term asset on that side of the ball.
The Lakers were scrambling to find usable role players by the end of the season and could have used Sasser’s skillset even in the playoffs. They traded Spencer Dinwiddie in the playoffs and could have used a backup guard who could have been a defensive asset while knocking down shots. Moving forward, this type of player would be a great fit alongside Austin Reaves.
Yet while Sasser projects to be a solid role player, he doesn’t even scratch the surface of the prospects available when the Lakers picked.
