Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson took his defensive pressure to another level during the 2026 postseason
During the regular season, Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson wasted little time in asserting himself as one of the league’s premier on-ball defenders at the point-of-attack. With a 6-7 frame and a 7’ wingspan, Thompson blends elite speed with the timing of a schooled basketball savant that was trained in the art of pickpocketing.
Before entering the playoffs, Thompson posted a 105.5 defensive rating while leading the NBA in steals, and the third-year defender’s incessant ability to alter shots helped establish the Pistons defense as a force to be reckoned with. Thompson regularly erased opposing scoring threats with his game-breaking defensive instincts, which led to an eventual third place finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. Thompson was the only non-big man to make the podium, but AT turned up his defensive pressure to yet another level during the postseason.
In 14 games spread across two rounds, Thompson recorded 28 steals, 25 blocks, 55 deflections and forced 32 turnovers for the Pistons, numbers which would normally equate to a stellar defensive showing from a final-advancing squad. Ausar hit those totals through just a pair of playoff matchups, and he left a remarkable impression on Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson after Detroit’s game seven loss.
“I do think the tactical decision we made was avoiding Thompson,” Atkinson said. “We were just like, if he’s near the ball, throw it to someone else. And I’ve never experienced that in the NBA. One of you guys said it the other night, this guy is one of the best. You know, him and his brother, I’ve never seen anything like it where even if you have a great player with the ball and he’s on him, pass it to someone else. I think we had Evan [Mobley] handle it more than ever in this series because of him, because of Thompson.”
For an NBA coach to reveal that his best schematic plan to ensure ball security was to patently avoid Ausar Thompson, that alone paints Thompson’s defensive impact in an incredibly favorable light. Thompson forced the Cavs to game-plan against his defensive pressure given his penchant for blowing up possessions, and Cleveland’s head coach couldn’t help but give credit where it was due.
Now that the Pistons have unceremoniously entered the offseason, Thompson has several months to add to his game in order to become a more well-rounded player before his fourth season kicks off in the fall. At times during the playoffs, Thompson looked more than hesitant in his refusal to take open shots from the perimeter or even the mid-range, so establishing a comfortable, repeatable shooting motion will likely be among Thompson’s offseason agenda of activities, but the versatile wing has an elite defensive foundation to build upon.
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