Chaz Lanier: Detroit’s Emerging Sharpshooter Finds His Voice

When Laney stepped onto the NBA scene as a second‑round pick, the odds weren’t exactly stacked in his favor. He spent most of his first season shuttling between the G League and the bench, watching the Pistons chase a postseason spot while his own minutes stayed scarce.

That’s the usual story for young players on teams that are trying to win now rather than build for the future. Yet the offseason brought a fresh canvas: the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Lanier arrived with a chip on his shoulder and a point‑guard’s hunger that could barely be contained.

In just four games he averaged a tidy 17.4 points per outing and, more eye‑catching, knocked down 51.1% of his three‑point attempts – nine tries per game on average. Those aren’t just numbers; they’re a statement that he refuses to be a footnote.

The highlight? A first‑quarter explosion against the New York Knicks, where he poured in 17 of his 24 total points. By the time the Knicks’ roster finally caught on, the damage was already done – a classic case of a shooter getting hot and making everyone else look like they’re slogging through mud.

For Detroit, that’s a signal worth listening to. The Pistons finished near the bottom of the league in three‑point attempts last season, and they’ve been looking for a reliable pop‑per to complement their young core. Lanier’s Summer League showcase suggests he could fill that role – if he can translate the practice‑court fluency into regular‑season consistency.

Sure, the jump from Summer League hype to the grind of an NBA schedule is massive. Defenses are tougher, rotations tighter, and the pressure is relentless. But the confidence Lanier displayed is real, and the timing feels almost cinematic: a team desperate for shooting gets a rookie who’s already hitting more threes in a handful of games than he did all season last year.

He finished the tournament with 23 made three‑pointers, eclipsing the 19 he managed over his entire rookie campaign. It’s a quick reminder that sometimes a player just needs the right stage to let his talent speak.

Whether Lanier becomes a cornerstone for Detroit or simply a spark‑plug for future rotations, the message is clear – give him the minutes, and he’ll give the Pistons the firepower they’ve been missing.