On Tuesday night, the Pistons had the benefit of Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson returning to the lineup, but Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff opted to use the two players in different fashions.

For Cunningham, Detroit’s All-Star point guard returned right to the starting lineup and played 34 minutes in the Pistons’ 11th consecutive victory as the team cruised to a 120-112 win. So, by all accounts it seems as if Cunningham had the green light to continue in full capacity without any limitations.

With Thompson, on the other hand, Bickerstaff began the Hawks game with Ausar on the bench in his return from a sprained ankle that’s sidelined the 6-7 point forward since Nov. 9. Thompson registered 24 minutes on the night, so he was out there for half of the game and contributed where he could, though the offense was not generally directed through him.

Against Atlanta, Thompson posted six points, three blocks, two rebounds and one steal in the Pistons’ eight-point win, so Bickerstaff clearly chose to ease the dynamic slasher back into the rotation in his return to action. 

“I thought he was good,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “He was on a minutes restriction, so you're always trying to juggle those minutes with how you get him to play in the fourth quarter, and if you can eat up some early first quarter minutes with him on the bench, that pushes those minutes into the fourth quarter. So, we were able to play him down the stretch.”

Bickerstaff took a pragmatic approach in how he would reintroduce Thompson back into the lineup, and it allowed for the Pistons to utilize the wingman in the crucial moments of Tuesday’s contest. Do not be confused, however, because Thompson remains part of Bickerstaff’s long-term vision for Detroit’s starting lineup, and he’ll be promptly promoted back to the first unit when he’s healthy enough to do so. 

“He's a starter for us,” Bickerstaff said. “Once we get him back to his full level or even more minutes, we'll be able to run him in longer stretches, and he'll be back in the starting lineup.”

Cade Cunningham Closes Out Pistons 11th Straight Win With Huge Double-Double Against Hawks In his return, Cade Cunningham showed that he hasn’t missed a step

With his versatile profile as an on-ball point forward or an explosive playmaking waiting on the wings, Thompson has proved his value to Detroit’s lineup. Thompson can guard so many positions on the other end, so his length and physicality really serve to open up the lineup for Bickerstaff, which is valuable over the long course of an 82-game regular season.

In time, Thompson will return to the Pistons on an unrestricted basis, and Detroit will be able to follow the gameplan’s that lifted the team to a 13-2 record and first place in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are dangerous for several reasons, one chiefly being the squad’s ability to win games while following a different script. Detroit has shown it can adapt to multiple situations, and that element is a pinnacle part of what makes Thompson such an important piece to the Pistons.

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Detroit will have a few days off before returning against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 8 pm. 

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