Detroit Pistons fans everywhere were overwhelmed with joy to land three talented rookies in the first round in the 2020 NBA Draft. But one player people didn’t know would shine would be their second round pick from Vanderbilt. Saben Lee led his team in scoring his junior year and averaged 13.9 points his entire collegiate career.

Troy Weaver loved what he saw in Saben Lee’s game.

Was projected to go undrafted, now he’s thriving on the Detroit Pistons

Playing the backup point guard role behind Killian Hayes this year and having to share minutes with other veteran point guards, Lee still averaged 5.6 points per game and almost shot 50% from the field. The culture Troy Weaver and Dwayne Casey built was a perfect situation for this group of players. Plenty of young talent not exactly expected to win right away. It allows players to find their success without added pressure. Dwayne Casey commented on the success of Saben Lee back in February and was sold on him even then.

Dwane Casey on Saben Lee: “He’s going to be a good piece for our program for a long time.”

Saben Lee’s career-high game against the Minnesota Timberwolves was quite impressive. The rookie scored 22 points while shooting 7-9 from the field and leading all Pistons in scoring. Although the Detroit Pistons have their future point guard in Killian Hayes, the team potentially has another cornerstone. That can either come off the bench or start for the organization and have success.

Regardless if the Detroit Pistons stand currently 20-50 on the season, the team has showed potential for the future of the franchise. Players like Saben Lee show with the right opportunity and the right mindset you can have success regardless of where you’re drafted. Detroit Pistons fans should be excited for years to come with this young collection of talent.