Through the first week of training camp, Detroit Pistons rookie Chaz Lanier has impressed coach J.B. Bickerstaff in several key areas that should fill some needs for the team.
Lanier was a third-team All-American selection last season, leading Tennessee to the Elite Eight as a fifth-year senior. He was the recipient of the Jerry West Award as the top shooting guard, ranking 15th in the country in points and fourth in 3-pointers.
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The 37th pick established himself as perhaps the top shooter in the country, but Bickerstaff can see him bringing more than just floor spacing on offense. He had high praise for Lanier ahead of the Pistons’ preseason opener on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
He is taking it all in, and I think he has learned on the fly quickly. You watch his natural instincts offensively and he is unbelievable at reading the game. He knows the spacing on the floor. He knows when to cut. I’ve told our staff there is going to come a point in time in his career where he has 30 points and only dribbled the ball four times. He has got that type of off-ball feel, awareness and ability to shoot the ball.
Lanier projects to have the opportunity to compete for rotation minutes over the four preseason games because of his ability as a high-level 3-point shooter. He also has good athleticism and is a solid defender, boasting a 6-foot, 9-inch wingspan.
The 23-year-old is using training camp to learn the Pistons’ system and gain valuable feedback from the likes of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and others on the roster. The players have embraced him and are assisting him with the transition to the organization.
The Pistons were ecstatic to add Lanier in the draft and are eager to see him take the court. He is making the most of his practice time to ensure a smooth preseason showing.
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“We have a lot of terminology, but at the end of the day, it is just basketball,” Lanier said. “A lot of the actions we run, we ran in college, so just putting the labels on the plays to actually going out there to seeing what the plays are, that has just been a little bit different. But it is just basketball at the end of the day. The guys have been super helpful, welcoming me and dropping knowledge on me.”
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Pistons news: Bickerstaff calls Chaz Lanier unbelievable in one area