Latest news with #ChazLanier
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tennessee's Chaz Lanier Predicted to Join $269 Million Star in NBA Mock Draft
Tennessee's Chaz Lanier Predicted to Join $269 Million Star in NBA Mock Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tennessee Volunteers leading scorer from the 2024-25 men's basketball roster didn't hear his name called in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. But he is expected to come off the board in the second. Advertisement ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo projected it to be early in the second round. In a 2025 NBA second-round mock draft, ESPN predicted Volunteers shooting guard Chaz Lanier to land with point guard Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons at No. 37 overall, or seventh in the second round. "A true late bloomer who averaged 3.7 points per game over his first three collegiate seasons, Lanier turned a corner with his jumper as an upperclassman to complement his solid size, frame and 6-foot-9 wingspan," Givony wrote. "He is not much of a ball handler and will need to use his tools better defensively, but he has a clear niche to fill with the way he can space the floor and shoot off screens." Tennessee Volunteers shoot guard Chaz Lanier© David Banks-Imagn Images Lanier led the Volunteers in scoring last season with 18 points per game. The shooting guard shot 43.1%, including 39.5% from the 3-point line. Advertisement Lanier also averaged 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 steals per contest. Behind those efforts, Tennessee advanced to the Elite Eight. Lanier played one season for the Volunteers. During his first four college seasons, he played for the North Florida Ospreys. As Givony explained, Lanier was a "true late bloomer." The guard didn't earn a regular starting role at North Florida until 2023-24. In his last two college seasons, Lanier averaged 18.8 points per game while shooting 46.4%. In Detroit, Lanier could play significant minutes next to Cunningham, who signed a five-year, $269 million extension with the Pistons. Cunningham isn't eligible for free agency until 2030. Advertisement The second round of the 2025 NBA Draft begins at 8 pm ET on Thursday. Related: Tennessee Gets Strong Message From Coveted Five-Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
21 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Pistons player evaluation: Draft pick Chaz Lanier's strengths and weaknesses
When a 5-feet-6 Chaz Lanier began his freshman year of high school at Ensworth in Nashville, Tenn., hearing his name called during the NBA Draft may have seemed far-fetched. But for a now 6-feet-4 Lanier, who watched the draft surrounded by family, that was his reality when the Detroit Pistons selected him at No. 37 Thursday. Advertisement Lanier, 23, recently concluded a five-year collegiate career in which he shot 40.2 percent from 3-point range. He led the Volunteers in scoring and made 59 more triples than any of his teammates in his only season at Tennessee. So, who is Lanier as a player, and how can he contribute to a Pistons team seeking more playoff success than they had last season? Let's break down some of his film from Tennessee to find out. Lanier's most obvious asset is his ability to knock down long-range shots. He shot 41.5 percent from 3 on 7.9 attempts over his last two seasons, one at North Florida and the other with the Volunteers. Apart from the impressive numbers, the variance in 3s Lanier took last season was impressive. He was effective moving without the ball, and Tennessee ran him off plenty of off-ball screens that led to catch-and-shoot triples. His comfort level in off-ball actions to find open shots could make him valuable alongside Detroit's cornerstone in Cade Cunningham. Although Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said Thursday that Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr., two proven 3-point shooters entering free agency, didn't factor into Detroit's decision to draft Lanier, he offers insurance on a role similar to Beasley and Hardaway's. Lanier has also shown he's capable of making 3s off the dribble as well. He doesn't have the greatest handle, but it's sufficient enough for him to get to his spots and connect on triples off the dribble. Although he was Tennessee's primary scorer that opposing defenses would consistently game plan for, Lanier had 15 games with at least four made 3s last season. His season-high came in a Feb. 22 win over Texas Tech, when he went 8 of 13 from long range to score 30 points. Lanier is no stranger to deep 3s as well, so there shouldn't be much difficulty for him to adjust to the NBA 3-point line. Advertisement Given how coveted consistent 3-point shooters are in the league, Lanier could potentially carve out a niche role that earns him rotational minutes solely based on his jumper. It's tough to gauge if he'll have that opportunity, considering the Pistons could either retain or acquire new, elite 3-point shooters. While Lanier has rightfully earned the title of a 3-point shooter, he occasionally showed signs of being able to create his shot as well. In addition to his handle allowing him to create space, Lanier used his body and balance well at the collegiate level to aid in the process. To be clear, this isn't exactly a consistent strength yet, but more an area he showed signs of being able to build on at the next level. Lanier is listed at 6-5 in shoes and 207 pounds with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, and he gets good elevation on his jumper. His strength and overall frame, coupled with his high release point, make him a rather effective midrange shooter as well. Defenders often closed out hard on Lanier, giving him opportunities to pumpfake and get to his midrange spots — even if he had a defender on his hip. Certified bucket on the way#DetroitBasketball | @Swaggychaz — Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) June 27, 2025 His athleticism seems limited, so it remains to be seen if Lanier will be capable of creating for himself off the dribble with the Pistons the way he did against college players at Tennessee. It is, however, encouraging that Lanier displayed a knack for doing so with the Vols. Lanier has a good overall feel for the game that shines through in his shot creation, which could potentially translate to the NBA level. For all of the tools Lanier possesses when it comes to shooting, defending in the NBA could come with quite a learning curve. He has decent height and weight with a solid wingspan, but he doesn't have the best lateral quickness and can look stiff at times. Advertisement During his four years at North Florida, Lanier had a minus-1.2 defensive box plus-minus. The stat tracks how much a player is estimated to contribute defensively to their team's point differential per 100 possessions. Lanier's defensive box jumped to 2.7 in his season at Tennessee, which could have had more to do with the overall dominance of the Volunteers. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes 'benched' Lanier during the Vols' Jan. 11 win over Texas, although he still logged 34 minutes. Barnes was more upset that Lanier didn't take a shot on a play designed for him, but something Barnes said postgame stuck out as to why Lanier could have trouble defensively in the NBA. 'Texas did a great job guarding him, and I thought his teammates did enough to get him separation to be effective,' Barnes said. 'But he's got to learn to get his hips twisted so he can get downhill quicker.' Barnes recognized Lanier had issues twisting his hips to get downhill against collegiate defenders, albeit in the SEC. If Lanier has already shown he's had difficulty twisting his hips to get past Texas defenders, twisting his hips to defend NBA athletes could become a problem. What works in Lanier's favor here is that he is now surrounded by world-class NBA trainers who can potentially help him improve his lateral quickness, twist his hips with more quickness and build on his overall athleticism. Lanier has averaged 2.7 assists per game while in college, but playmaking hasn't seemed to be a strong suit. And frankly, it may never need to be. Lanier certainly wasn't drafted by Detroit to be a facilitator; it's just one area he can seek to improve as he expands his game. If Lanier can become a knockdown shooter, he can then create advantages by attacking closeouts and potentially finding teammates for open layups or shots.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Detroit Pistons select Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier in 2025 NBA draft
The Detroit Pistons selected guard Chaz Lanier on Thursday in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft. Lanier, who is the No. 37 pick overall, played one season with Tennessee as a fifth-year student after four seasons at North Florida. At Tennessee, he posted the second-most made three-point fields per game in the university's history. The Pistons are coming off of a historic season, making it to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. They lost in the first round against the New York Knicks.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What could Chaz Lanier add to the Boston Celtics?
If the Boston Celtics are looking to add depth at the point guard position this summer, the upcoming NBA Draft could be a good opportunity to do so. Multiple guards project to be available in the Celtics' range, with the team picking 28th and 32nd across the first and second rounds. One guard who could make sense for the Celtics is 6-foot-4 Chaz Lanier out of Tennessee. The five-year collegiate product impressed during his maiden season in the SEC, averaging 18 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He shot 39.5% from 3-point range, which means he should fit into Joe Mazzulla's offensive system quite easily. However, questions surrounding his defense and playmaking do raise some concerns. During a recent episode of the "First To The Floor" podcast, host Wayne Spooney dove into some highlights from Lanier to explore how he could potentially fit with the Celtics and what he could bring to the rotation. Spooney also compared Lanier to other prospects within the Celtics' range before sharing his thoughts on the guard's potential. If you want to learn more about Lanier, and how he could potentially fit with the Celtics, you can check out the podcast episode by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on: YouTube: Website:
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Every Tennessee basketball player drafted in Rick Barnes era
The 2025 NBA draft will be held Wednesday-Thursday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, home of the Nets. The draft will be televised at 8 p.m. EDT by ESPN with the first round taking place Wednesday and the second round slated for Thursday. The first round will also be televised by ABC. Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier is projected as a second round pick. ESPN projects the former Vol to be selected No. 38 overall by San Antonio. Prior to the 2025 NBA draft, Vols Wire looks at Tennessee's draft picks who played for head coach Rick Barnes. He has coached the Vols since the 2015-16 season. Eight Tennessee players who played for Barnes have been drafted since 2019. Grant Williams was a first-round selection (No. 22) in 2019. The two-time SEC Player of the Year was one of three Vols drafted in 2019. Admiral Schofield was selected in the in the second round (No. 42 overall) by Philadelphia and traded to Washington. Jordan Bone was selected in the second round (No. 57 overall) by New Orleans. The Vols had two players selected in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft. Both were selected after one year at Tennessee. Keon Johnson was selected No. 21 overall by New York and traded to the Clippers. Jaden Springer was selected No. 28 overall by Boston. Kennedy Chandler was drafted with the No. 38 overall by San Antonio in 2022 and was traded to Memphis. In 2023, Julian Phillips was selected No. 35 overall by the Celtics and was traded to Chicago. Dalton Knecht was drafted No. 17 overall by the Lakers in 2024. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
