The Detroit Pistons are in the worst stretch of the season, losing four straight games for the first time. Injuries have obviously played a large part in this stretch, but the concern level surrounding the Pistons heading into the final stretch of the season is certainly increasing. Detroit is now at real risk of losing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, making its postseason path significantly more difficult.
One of the reasons the Pistons have been struggling over the last week is their backup's inability to thrive in a larger role. As Ausar Thompson missed the last several games and Cade Cunningham was unavailable against the Nets, the Pistons had to rely on players lower in the pecking order. Marcus Sasser was one of them. Getting the start in the last two games, Sasser wasn't able to take advantage of the opportunity, putting his rotation role in jeopardy for the rest of the regular season.
Sasser Will Regret Not Taking Advantage of His First Starts of the Season
Many Pistons fans were hoping for Sasser to get an opportunity. The dynamic point guard's shooting and pick-and-roll ability could boost Detroit's predictable offense. The third-year player has been in and out of the rotation this season, so his first starts of the season over the weekend could have earned him a permanent role in the rotation.
However, Sasser's performance left something to be desired. After delivering eight points and four assists in 29 minutes on 3/9 shooting from the field in the disappointing loss to the Nets, Sasser had two points and two assists on 0/3 field goals in 19 minutes of action on Sunday's loss to the Heat. The Pistons lost Sasser's minutes by a total of 13 points in the last two games.
Similarly, Sasser wasn't productive against the Spurs after Thompson sprained his ankle. He played six minutes in the first half, didn't register a single box score stat, and didn't see the court again until garbage time.
Head coach JB Bickerstaff has been unwilling to rely on Sasser too much because of his defensive shortcomings. Bickerstaff built a defensive identity for this team based on size, versatility, and intensity. Sasser doesn't fit that identity very well, but his offensive skill set was enough to keep him around.
When the team needed it most, though, Sasser couldn't convert that offensive skill set to actual production. Sasser's value comes exclusively on the offensive end, but he scored a total of ten points on 3/16 shooting from the field in 56 minutes in his last four games. That is not good enough, and when Sasser is riding the bench during Detroit's playoff run, he can look back at this stretch as a big missed opportunity.