Dwane Casey and Troy Weaver both came to the Pistons from organizations that made the most of having their G League affiliates a stone’s throw from the parent NBA team. They believe wholeheartedly in the benefits of shuttling young players back and forth – often a round trip on the same day – to maximize the practice and game-day experiences that can be had at both levels.
There was no chance to do that in a 2020-21 season played under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic as the Pistons G League affiliate at the time, the Grand Rapids Drive, didn’t participate in the limited G League bubble. But 2021-22 saw the debut of the Motor City Cruise, which played home games in the new arena the Pistons and Wayne State partnered to build on the latter’s campus a short cab ride from both Little Caesars Arena and the Henry Ford Pistons Performance Center.
Lee played spectacularly for the Cruise in more than 800 minutes in the G League and logged another 600-plus with the Pistons.
Here's a look at Lee’s past, present and future:
PROFILE: 6-foot-2 guard, 22 years old, 2 NBA seasons
2021-22 STATS: 5.6 points, 2.3 assists, .470 2-point percentage and .233 3-point percentage in 16 minutes a game over 37 games; 24.4 points, 7.1 assists, .500 2-point percentage and .288 3-point percentage in 36 minutes a game over 23 games.
STATUS: Lee has two years remaining on a reported three-year contract he signed with the Pistons last summer after playing his rookie season on a two-way contract
DID YOU KNOW?: The fact that Saben Lee’s father, Amp Lee, spent nine seasons in the NFL after a decorated career at Florida State during some of Bobby Bowden’s peak seasons is well known by this point. But Amp Lee might have preceded his son to the NBA if things had gone a little differently. Amp Lee was a two-time runner-up Mr. Basketball in Florida and went to Florida State to play both sports, but was persuaded by Bowden to focus on football after he arrived and quickly established himself as a prominent running back. Amp Lee, whose last stop in the NFL was with the Detroit Lions practice squad in 2001 before a hamstring injury ended his career, remains connected to basketball as a coach and trainer in Arizona, where Saben Lee starred as a high school recruit before playing at Vanderbilt.
A LOOK BACK: Saben Lee chose Vanderbilt over a far-flung list of suitors that included his father’s alma mater, Florida State, in addition to Louisville and Stanford and spent three seasons there that included the transition from Bryce Drew, who recruited Lee, to ex-Pistons and NBA star Jerry Stackhouse. Lee played both backcourt spots at Vanderbilt, averaging 10.6 points while starting 29 games as a freshman, moving off the ball to start his sophomore season to accommodate five-star recruit Darius Garland and then coming off the bench as a junior at Stackhouse’s request to better balance lineups. Lee averaged 18.6 in 2019-20, second to lottery pick Aaron Nesmith’s 23.0 per game, and entered the 2020 draft. The Pistons picked him with the 38th pick – that explains Lee’s uniform number – and Lee averaged 5.6 points in 16 minutes a game as a rookie, playing in 48 games.
THE SEASON THAT WAS: Lee played more in the G League in 2021-22 than in the NBA, averaging 24.4 points and 7.1 assists in 23 games and finishing second in MVP balloting. After a strong start from the 3-point line, Lee finished with a .288 3-point percentage in G League play on 7.1 attempts per game, representing 40 percent of Lee’s shots. Lee made a concentrated effort to up his 3-point rate in his second season after taking only 11 percent of his shots as a rookie from three. His 3-point rate in NBA games in his second season increased to 33 percent; the next step is improving his accuracy. The Pistons see Lee primarily as a high-energy backup at this point and want him to be a standout on-ball defender. With his athleticism and 6-foot-9 wingspan, Lee has all the tools to become that. His strength and athleticism allow Lee to get into the paint easier than most and he’s shown a knack for spinning the ball out to open 3-point shooters when he does so, averaging 7.3 assists per 36 minutes over his two NBA seasons.
A LOOK AHEAD: With Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes in line to do the bulk of their playmaking, Lee will again be in the mix for a role off the bench next season. Veteran Cory Joseph has a player option to determine whether he’s part of that mix, as well, but it’s likely the Pistons will have another veteran point guard on the 2022-23 roster whether it’s Joseph or someone else. Lee overcame his hesitancy to launch 3-point shots from his rookie season and it was unrealistic to expect that accuracy would come along with volume so quickly. How high Lee’s ceiling can go is tied to how much more efficiently he shoots. He’s beloved by teammates and coaches and recognized for his work ethic, so whatever the capacity for improvement as a shooter might be, Lee is likely to get there.
MONEY QUOTE: “He grew as a point guard (from his rookie season). I think being around (Motor City Cruise point guard) Derrick Walton helped a lot because Derrick is a true, old school point guard and I think that helped Saben. Saben showed signs of making plays for other people and that’s so important for our team because we have some guys that need help to get to their shot. That’s up to the point guard and Saben grew in that area.” – Dwane Casey on Lee in early April