In only his third year, Ausar Thompson looks to be one of the most dynamic, versatile players in the NBA
Before the 2025-26 regular season kicked off for the Pistons back in October, Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff set the tone immediately that third-year forward Ausar Thompson would be required to do a bit of everything this year.
At 6-7 with an even longer wingspan, Thompson is stocked with athleticism in spades, and his defensive acuity is already in elite territory, but Bickerstaff was clear about his intentions to use the versatile hooper to help set up the team’s offense as well. Thompson has shown the ability to handle the rock and push the pace, so Bickerstaff saw a fit for those qualities on the court when Cade Cunningham was in an off-ball role or taking a breather on the bench.
At the start of the regular season, Marcus Sasser was going through a hip injury and two-way guard Daniss Jenkins had not yet established himself as a reliable backcourt option, so the Pistons used Thompson to initiate offense regularly during Detroit’s first 10 games.
Since that time, the Pistons have found out that Jenkins is more than capable of initiating offense for Detroit on his own, so Thompson shifted his focus to a more defensive-minded role and began locking down opposing guards at the point of attack on a nightly basis. This season, Thompson checks out in the top percentile in all five perimeter defensive categories according to B-Ball Index, which is the only such occurrence over the last 13 seasons.
More recently, the Pistons have suffered from an untimely run of injuries that have sidelined big men Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart over the past several games. Once again, Thompson altered his focus a bit to include more rebounding responsibility, and Ausar has increased his impact on the glass over the past two weeks to help the Pistons in another area of need.
The common thread through each of these instances is the dynamic profile that Ausar Thompson offers. If not for his twin, Amen, down in Houston, Ausar would be lauded for his unique combination of defensive tenacity, athleticism and ball handling ability.
Fortunately for Detroit, Ausar is one of a kind in the Eastern Conference, and the Pistons have utilized the rangy winger in a variety of roles through 38 games this season. Bickerstaff has extra flexibility in his lineup whenever Thompson is on the court, and that’s served as an added bonus for a Pistons team that’s been forced to plug several injury gaps during the first several months of the season.
Right now, the Pistons sport a 28-10 record and stand in first place of the Eastern Conference, and Thompson has played a pivotal role in pushing Detroit to its lofty position in the first half of the regular season, but the true challenge will come once the postseason arrives.
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