The Detroit Pistons have been ravaged with injuries at the point guard position this season. They lost starter Killian Hayes just a few games into his rookie season, then traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks for Dennis Smith Jr. Just a couple of games ago, starting point guard Delon Wright was lost for at least two weeks due to a groin injury.
This made Smith the de facto starting point guard with only him and rookie Saben Lee to choose from at the position. On Sunday against the Orlando Magic, Smith got the nod, but Lee showed out.
Saben Lee gives the Detroit Pistons options at point guard
Point guard has been a spot of particular need this season for the Pistons. In the early goings, Hayes was overmatched. Rose needed to come off the bench to preserve his legs. Wright was more of a two-guard than a one, and Smith probably doesn’t belong in the NBA.
In six games with the Pistons, Smith is averaging 4.8 points, 2.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game. He’s shooting 30.6 percent from the floor. He wasn’t expected to be some lights-out star by any means, and he’s only been in action for that handful of games, so it’s possible as his fitness levels increase so will his performance.
Whether Dennis Smith Jr. gets it together or not, Saben Lee appears to be the new constant. On Sunday night against the Magic, Smith had a pedestrian shooting night, going 2-of-6 for six points with four turnovers in 15 minutes, but Lee stole the show.
Saben Lee was second on the team in minutes with 33 (behind only Jeremy Grant’s 35), scoring 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting. He filled up the stat sheet with five assists, four rebounds, three steals and just one turnover.
He also had one missed dunk attempt that if successful would have led every highlight show in North America.
Saben Lee almost sent Vucevic to the shadow realm on this dunk attempt pic.twitter.com/S1lVJ5tm9F
— Rip Haminkton (@RedAlternates) February 22, 2021
Disregard the offensive foul being committed here, this dunk attempt was still spectacular.
Lee has demonstrated an ability to be an athletic nuisance on defense, and his playmaking is better than you’d think from a rookie second-round pick playing on a two-way contract. He’s no threat from the perimeter, missing both of his 3-pointers this season, but he can get to the rim seemingly at will thanks to his quickness and athleticism.
On a healthier team, Lee could function as a third point guard and provide depth, but this is a team in need of bodies that can do basically anything at his position. With Smith’s struggles, he has the opportunity to really show what he can do. He’s got the opportunity to essentially force the Pistons into converting his two-way contract into a standard deal, and a great stretch of play leading up to the trade deadline could better pave the way to a Delon Wright trade as well.
Wright is likely to be traded, given the trajectory of this team, but the Pistons do need competent point guard play to facilitate the development and progression of the players on this roster. If Lee is able to provide that, it simplifies the job ahead for both head coach Dwane Casey and general manager Troy Weaver.