Detroit Pistons Downgrade Rookie for Matchup vs. Memphis Grizzlies

The Detroit Pistons have Marcus Sasser on the injury report for their matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Mar 22, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) tries to drive past | Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

In a game between the Detroit Pistons and the Memphis Grizzlies, both teams are facing a lot of uncertainty surrounding some key players.

On Detroit’s side, the rookie Marcus Sasser appears on the Pistons’ injury report, alongside multiple players. Unlike some of his teammates, Sasser has the opportunity to potentially play against the Grizzlies on Monday, as he’s questionable with an upper respiratory illness.

When the Pistons took on the Washington Wizards late last week, Sasser missed his first games in quite some time. Despite being off the floor, the Pistons found success over the Wizards and collected a nine-point win.

Prior to his recent absence, Sasser appeared in 14-straight games for Detroit. While he came off the bench for a majority of those matchups, the rookie guard collected four starts while averaging 23 minutes on the floor.

The Pistons are at a point in the year where they are focused on making it out of the regular season healthy while getting some of their young prospects a ton of burn. Sasser, who is wrapping up his first NBA season, will benefit from the final stretch. And the Pistons hope to have him on the floor once again on Monday night against Memphis.

This season, Sasser appeared in 64 games. Averaging 18 minutes off the bench, the rookie has shot 43 percent from the field, while knocking down 38 percent of his threes. In those matchups, Sasser accounted for eight points per game, while producing three assists per outing.

In addition to Sasser, the Pistons also have Cade Cunningham on the injury report for Monday’s game. He is questionable due to left knee injury management. As for the rest of the players on the report, which includes Simone Fontecchio, Quentin Grimes, Isaiah Stewart, Ausar Thompson, Stanley Umude, and Taj Gibson, they are all expected to be out.