The Las Vegas Summer League is officially underway. The Detroit Pistons kicked things off on Thursday night against the Philadelphia 76ers and lost 101-93. These games are less about the score and much more about the individual performances of prospects.
All eyes were on Ebuka Okorie, who delivered a strong offensive showing. Looking dynamic with the ball and engaged on defense, the Pistons rookie had 20 points, four assists, and two steals in 30 minutes of action.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the only other Piston on a standard deal on the roster. Chaz Lanier, ahead of his second season in the league, played a game-high 32 minutes and went 4/11 from the field, including 1/6 from three. He finished the game with 12 points, three rebounds, one assist, and a block.
Pistons' Chaz Lanier has to do more to save his job for next season
The 37th-overall pick in last year's draft, Lanier had signed a four-year, $8.8 million contract with the Pistons. As a rookie, he rarely saw the court and spent most of his time in the G League instead. The Summer League offered him an excellent opportunity to showcase what he could do, but he wasn't able to make the most of it in his first game.
As one of the highest-profile players on the Summer League team, Lanier had to be more assertive. He was mostly an afterthought on offense. The Pistons didn't run enough plays for him, and Lanier wasn't aggressive enough when he had the opportunities.
Sure, this is still early in his development, but Lanier will turn 25 in December. He has to show more for the Pistons to trust him with a roster spot for next season and beyond. Especially since the third year of his contract is non-guaranteed, Lanier will be on thin ice if he doesn't start performing.
The problem with Lanier's game is that it's very dependent on his jump shot. Since he doesn't do much else on either end of the floor, he needs his shot to fall to be effective. It's very difficult for the former Tennessee star to make an impact if he is hitting one of his six three-point attempts.
If your calling card is movement shooting, the bar is high to be a rotation player. You need to hit close to 40% from downtown on high volume to crack the crowded Detroit backcourt. Lanier had his moments of hot shooting in the G League, but finished the regular season with 37.2% from three. In limited attempts in the NBA, he was 19/67 from downtown.
The Pistons have championship aspirations next season. If it were another team that could afford to be patient, Lanier is still worth keeping around. For the Pistons, one has to wonder whether they are wasting a roster spot.
Detroit will play four more Summer League games. Lanier simply has to play better in those games to carry some momentum into training camp and preseason. Otherwise, the calls for replacing him will begin to get louder.
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