Detroit Pistons: Duncan Robinson Describes Ausar Thompson As Dynamic, Versatile

After signing his rookie scale extension during the offseason, Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson is working hard to make sure the franchise feels secure with each dollar they’ve committed to the future. 

At five years and $155 million dollars, Thompson is not necessarily going to come cheap over the next decade, but that might actually be a rather cost-effective price tag considering all the ways in which AT can impact the game. 

Take Friday night’s NBA Cup road win over the Brooklyn Nets for example. Playing away from home for the second straight game after spraining his ankle about a week ago, Thompson delivered another wide-reaching performance that he’s become known for. In 26 minutes of action, Thompson posted 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals on the night in what was a comfortable 16-point win for the Pistons in Group Play. 

”He’s so versatile,” Pistons wing Duncan Robinson said of Thompson after the game. “He’s so dynamic. He’s just fun to play with, the rim pressure that he’s available to provide is really unique, so for us, it’s really on us to allow him to unlock the best version of himself. Obviously, he’s going to will it himself, but it’s a group and collective effort.”

Entering the season, the Pistons had an intention to use Thompson as more of a secondary playmaker when he’s on the floor next to Cade Cunningham so that Detroit can attack the defense in more than one way. Although the Pistons have tried this before, there’s a prevailing throughout around the Motor City that Thompson has developed enough to carry the responsibility of initiating offense for the squad both with and without Cunningham on the court. 

Most often, the Pistons have stashed their All-NBA First Team point guard in the corner to start the play when Thompson is bringing the ball up for a halfcourt set. From there, Cunningham flares to the top of the key to accept a pass, thereby forcing the defense to process a non-Cunningham on-ball action right off the jump, so the idea is that the Pistons will have an edge when Cade starts outside the defense’s line of sight. 

While that’s one part of Thompson’s focus to start the regular season, the fourth-year defensive menace is looking to become a more steady mid-range shooter who can attack the defense in a variety of fashions. AT has the speed and suddenness to take a defender off the dribble, but he needs the confidence to elevate in the lane so that his mid-range jumper becomes a trusty tool for the Pistons to pull out when they need it most. 

Thompson has never been a lights-out shooter since he arrived in the NBA, so it might be too much of an ask for AT to develop a dangerous three-point shot over the offseason, but he’s made strides working alongside Pistons assistant coach Fred Vinson to have a smoother mid-range shooting motion. So far, the results have not necessarily matched the work that’s been put in since Thompson has a 25% shooting rate on pull-ups through six Detroit games, but there is a lot of time left in the regular season for that number to stabilize. 

From a finishing standpoint, Thompson has continued to supply put-backs and acrobatic finishes near the bucket, which is more of his bread and butter given his eye-popping athleticism and leaping ability. But as Pistons Roundtable has written before, Ausar Thompson still is just a jump shot away from becoming a superstar in the league.