Detroit Pistons See Potential With Ausar Thompson At PG

Although fourth-year wing Ausar Thompson only logged 18 minutes in the Detroit Pistons preseason opener on Monday night, fans at Little Caesars Arena were treated to the taste of a dynamic offensive structure in the Motor City. 

With Cade Cunningham starting several possessions in an off-ball format, Thompson served as the Pistons’ lead initiator and organized the squad’s offense throughout the first quarter, which is a wrinkle that Detroit plans to lean into during the 2026-27 campaign. Typically, Cunningham is under a lot of pressure on a nightly basis given his usage rate as the Pistons leader, but head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is exploring a few concepts that should benefit his All-NBA playmaker. 

As for Thompson, the defensive menace is looking to expand his offensive game as he accepts a more demanding role with secondary playmaking responsibility. From a skills standpoint AT has the vision, processing ability and speed required to find snuff out pockets of weakness in the defense, but the question is whether he can consistently contribute in that realm while still taking on physically-draining matchups defensively. 

With regards to Detroit’s season opener, Thompson shined in his new role with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block in the Pistons’ dramatic 109-107 win over the Suns. Throughout the contest, Thompson even flashed a mid-range jumper that could open up a lot of doors for the Overtime Elite product moving forward, and Bickerstaff was more than complimentary when assessing his assertive performance. 

”I thought he was great,” Bickerstaff told Fox 2 Detroit. “Again, it’s just a matter of figuring out who’s on the floor with him when he is playing the point guard position because there's so many different things he can do. Even if you just give him the reps at the point guard spot, when he’s on the floor with Cade that gives him more confidence to play with the ball in his hands, be aggressive and make plays as well.”

As Bickerstaff alluded to, Detroit’s ability to use Thompson at the one creates more versatility on the squad, but he needs to keep in mind that other play-finishers are necessary for a balanced offensive attack. Thompson has notably struggled as a shooter during his first three seasons as a pro, so conventional wisdom dictates that he’d need at least one long-range specialist alongside him to open up the floor with appropriate spacing. 

As a whole, Bickerstaff is excited to use Thompson’s “otherworldly athletic ability” in a new fashion on offense. He’s also anxious for Pistons All-Star Jalen Duren to make his preseason debut, which should be fast approaching, though J.B. was coy in terms of when that would be. There’s a chance that Duren suits up for this Saturday’s exhibition tilt against the Washington Wizards at 7:30 pm, but that won’t come out until the starting lineup is announced pre-game. 

Either way, the Pistons are set to put their 1-0 preseason record on the line against the Wizards after they pulled off a narrow two-point win of their own against the New York Knicks last night.