Detroit Pistons fans have had plenty to cheer about throughout the 2025-26 season; however, Marcus Sasser's performance hasn't exactly been a consistent source of excitement.
After two promising seasons where he flashed intriguing upside, the third-year guard became an afterthought for much of the season in Detroit. This was in large part due to injuries and unforeseen circumstances. Now with only eight games left in the regular season, Sasser is running out of time to prove his worth to the team.
The Clock Is Ticking for Marcus Sasser as NBA Playoffs Near
Even though Sasser had a chance to become a regular rotation player this season after the departures of Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schroder, and Malik Beasley, a hip injury sustained during training camp forced him to miss over a month of the season. During this time, the Pistons needed shot creation in the backcourt as Caris LeVert was injured, while Cade Cunningham missed a week of action in November.
It was Daniss Jenkins who made the most of that opportunity. The second-year guard came out of nowhere and earned himself a permanent role as the backup point guard. This pushed Sasser further down the pecking order, making it harder for him to see the court even after his return.
Cunningham's latest injury was another opportunity for Sasser. Suffering a collapsed lung against the Wizards two weeks ago, Cunningham remains sidelined. Another ill-timed injury to Sasser has prevented him from earning a big role in Cunningham's absence. Sasser missed three games with a hip strain, and since returning against the Pelicans last week, he hasn't been the same.
In the last two games since his most recent return, Sasser played a total of 28 minutes. He had a total of seven points and five assists on 3-of-11(27.3%) shooting. In fact, the 25-year-old guard didn't attempt a single shot in Detroit's win over Minnesota on Saturday.
Jenkins, on the other hand, continued to be a starter, carrying the team on his shoulders. Since Cunningham's last game on March 17, Jenkins has been averaging 18.1 points and 7.3 assists in 34 minutes per game on .448/.471/.893 shooting splits. His ability to play heavy minutes and carry the offensive load leaves little room for Sasser to explore studio space and shine.
Unless the Pistons clinch the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed early and decide to give players lower on the totem pole more of a chance down the stretch, Sasser is unlikely to see significant minutes over the next two weeks. He needs to do more with less in the final eight games of the season to convince head coach J.B. Bickerstaff to make him a part of the playoff rotation.
Otherwise, it's hard to imagine that we will see much of Sasser in the postseason once Cunningham returns.