Pistons Legend Compares Chaz Lanier to 2-Time NBA All-Star

Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas is a fan of Chaz Lanier.

Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier (2) celebration after hitting a 3-point basket during the Sweet 16 game against Kentucky in the NCAA college basketball tournament on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Indianapolis, IN. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the upcoming season, the Detroit Pistons have just one draft pick making their debut in Chaz Lanier.

After the Pistons lost their first-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves after making the playoffs and losing their protection, they could only look forward to the early second round.

One of the league’s worst-kept secrets was that the Pistons had an interest in Lanier. The high-volume three-point shooter out of Tennessee seemed like a logical fit for Detroit. Sure enough, they selected him with their only pick, and it’s safe to say that the franchise legend Isiah Thomas approves, as he compared Lanier to a former NBA All-Star.

“I really love the way Chaz shoots the basketball,” Thomas said on the Summer League broadcast on Tuesday.

“It’s very reminiscent of Allan Houston. He’s even wearing No. 20 like Allan Houston. He can really shoot the ball, knock it down, and he’s got a nice, smooth stroke from the outside. I think the Pistons and people are going to enjoy watching him play.”

Isiah Thomas on Chaz Lanier

“ Really love the way Chaz shoots the ball it’s really reminiscent of Allan Houston.” pic.twitter.com/NRkUtEl6kL

— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) July 15, 2025

Houston, a former Tennessee standout, was drafted by the Pistons in 1993. He spent his first three NBA seasons playing for Detroit before he hit the free agency market and signed with the New York Knicks.

The former veteran guard spent nine seasons with the Knicks and ended up finishing his career in 2005 with New York.

Throughout his career, Houston appeared in 839 regular-season games. He averaged 17 points while shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Tennessee Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier (2) looks to pass the ball while being guarded by Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) and forward Joseph Tugler (11) during the first half of a game Sunday, March 30, 2025, during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA March Madness tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Houston defeated Tennessee 69-50. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During the playoffs, Houston maintained his impressive production by averaging 19 points per game and hitting on 42 percent of his threes.

Lanier has a long way to go before reaching the same status as the two-time All-Star, but that’s a solid comparison from a respectable basketball mind—esepcially in Detroit.

After he spent four seasons at North Florida in the NCAA, Lanier transferred to Tennessee. He played 38 games last season, knocking down 40 percent of his threes, while putting up 18 points per game.

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