Detroit Pistons Rookie Reflects on First Season in the NBA

Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser reflects on his first NBA run.

This weekend, the Detroit Pistons will wrap up their regular season schedule against the San Antonio Spurs. As his first year as a pro comes to a close, one of the team’s rookies reflects on the experience.

After being drafted 25th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, Marcus Sasser was traded to the Detroit Pistons. The sharpshooting guard had a sizable role in Monty Williams rotation, appearing in 70 games and playing around 19 minutes a night.

As his rookie campaign comes to a close, Sasser is averaging 8.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 3.3 APG while shooting 37.3% from beyond the arc. Following his 20-point outing against the Chicago Bulls Thursday, Sasser touched on what his first year in the league was like. He admitted it was a big jump from college, but was still a positive experience. Moving forward, Sasser cited mental toughness as an area of improvement for year two.

"It's definitely a big jump, but that's what makes this job fun. It's not for everybody," Sasser told reporters Thursday.

Due to the Pistons being without a handful of players to close the year, Sasser has seen extended minutes the past few weeks. Williams has even experimented with him at point guard to see how he’d do running the offense.

Sasser has made the most of this opportunity as he attempts to finish his rookie year on a positive note. Over his last six games, he is averaging 14.2 PPG and 4.2 APG.

Between his outside shooting and potential as a playmaker, Sasser has proven to be a contributing piece for the Pistons moving forward. He’s set himself up to have a prominent role off the bench in year two.