Pistons forward Ausar Thompson presents an issue for Detroit right now
Over the last four games, the Pistons have lost three and have allowed a 30+ point scorer in each of those contests, which is simply unlike the Detroit squad that climbed to first place in the Eastern Conference.
At the moment, the Pistons still have the No. 2 defense in the league according to NBA.com, but Detroit is entering shootouts that they are not prepared to compete in as currently constructed. The Pistons are missing an additional outside shooting presence to pair with Duncan Robinson, though third-year guard Marcus Sasser is showing that he may be the man for that job of late.
But from a wide lens, the Pistons have a few kinks in their offensive attack to work out still 34 games into the regular season, namely what to do with Ausar Thompson. In terms of defense, Thompson is everything that the Pistons could possibly ask for and more– the third-year point forward currently checks out as the most complete perimeter defender in the NBA over the past 13 seasons.
So, Thompson is an exceptionally valuable player for Detroit on that end of the court, but his offensive impact still leaves a bit to be desired. Right now, Thompson is averaging 11.6 points and 2.6 assists per game, which is below the level the Pistons need from a starter in order to compete for a title.
In terms of application, Thompson brings the ball up the floor and initiates offense between five and seven times per game, so Detroit relies on Ausar as a playmaker to middling success on a regular basis. When Thompson is not operating as a primary ball handler, he’s generally stashed in the corner along the baseline. Now, Thompson has strong instincts in terms of cutting to the basket for easy lay-ups and dunks, but the Pistons usually look to Duren for these types of looks at the rim near the restricted area.
So, if Thompson is spending some time as a facilitator without being utilized to his full potential as a dunking threat around the rim, the Pistons need for Ausar to contribute as a dangerous perimeter shooter– or at least one that teams respect. Thompson needs to create the offensive gravity that requires earnest closeouts, and this will in turn create open looks for his teammates.
At this juncture, Thompson is 29.4% from long-range, which is not at the level Detroit needs. Thompson does not pose the same type of threat from behind the arc as Jaden Ivey or Sasser, and that reality is cutting into his playing time late in tight games.
During two games during the Pistons’ recent West Coast road trip, Thompson was benched for the second half of games in favor of alternate options, which made sense considering Detroit had a couple dangerous three-point shooters sitting on the bench.
So, what’s the answer for Thompson?
Over the offseason, Thompson spent some time working with Pistons assistant coach Fred Vinson to help refine his jumper and his free throw shot, but both areas remain in need of focus for Ausar to reach his ceiling. Thompson expends so much energy on defense and as a part-time playmaker that he might not have enough in the tank to be the Pistons No. 2 option each night-- but they need him to play like a No. 3 scorer more often.
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