Ausar Thompson, at every turn, has shown that he’s ready for the moment.
The defense. The instincts on both ends. The rebounding. The athleticism. It all pops with regularity. Some days are better than others, but anyone who has watched the No. 5 pick in June’s NBA Draft walks away seeing the vision. The draw, the appeal is always visible. He’s fairly consistent, a shining quality particularly for someone of his age and experience.
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All of it is part of the reason why the Detroit Pistons’ rookie is expected to be an opening-night starter. Thompson checks every box Detroit is coveting as it tries to climb its way up from the basement of the NBA standings. The “Three Ds” that general manager Troy Weaver mentioned on media day as the mantra for this season — defense, discipline and development — it’s all there with Thompson.
Yet, while Thompson’s own play has earned him serious consideration to be a regular starter from Day 1, the organization also hasn’t forgotten about the most important piece to the puzzle: Cade Cunningham. The 2021 No. 1 pick’s return from shin surgery is part of the reason why Thompson, a rookie, is likely starting alongside Cunningham in the backcourt.
When healthy, it was Cunningham who was often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best wing scorer. An objective he has the ability to do, and had moments of doing successfully, but it was a tough ask for a 21-year-old who carries a 30 percent usage on the other end of the floor.
Factor in that Cunningham is now getting adjusted to playing with a metal rod in his leg, returning to the rigors of an NBA season and is still trying to further show he is the franchise changer the organization believes him to be, it behooves everyone for Cunningham to not take on so much of a burden on the defensive end.
“That’s the benefit of having Cade. One, he defends. Two, he wants to defend,” new Pistons head coach Monty Williams said earlier this week. “That’s something we’ve looked at with Ausar out there guarding the toughest guy. Now, Cade doesn’t have to do that. You watch a lot of games the Pistons played in the past, and Cade was on the toughest wing. Then you’re telling him to bring the ball down the floor and have the energy to run offense. I think there’s going to be opportunities to put him on, not a lesser guy because I don’t look at NBA players that way, but hopefully we can put Ausar on some of those tough offensive guys and not have Cade chase them around as much.”
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Luckily for Detroit, that’s something Thompson is eager to do.
“I feel like that’s the most exciting thing for me, that they trust me to go out there and guard those guys,” Thompson said. “I’ve always believed in myself. Those are the guys I want. I know those are the guys that will make me better.”
A lot of what the Pistons will be doing this season, while trying to win more games, is also evaluating the level Cunningham can get to. He’s the focal point of all of this. For the time being, Detroit only goes as far as Cunningham can take them. With that, the Pistons need to continue to find the best ways to utilize Cunningham on both ends. Defensively, starting Thompson is a great start. Offensively, Thompson can help, too.
Assuming Detroit’s starting lineup is as follows: Cunningham, Thompson, Bojan Bogdanović, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren; Cunningham could have everything he needs at his disposal. Duren is the lob threat. Bogdanović is the elite floor spacer. Stewart, if he builds on the promise he displayed last year as a shooter, could be a solid kick-out option, too. Then there’s Thompson, whose shooting is currently not his strong suit, but he cuts in a way that hasn’t been available to Cunningham. Thompson also has the ability to initiate offense — Bogdanović can do the same — while allowing Cunningham to get off-ball reps. Cunningham’s greatest strength coming out of college was that his skill set allowed him to play in any lineup, whether he’s the ball dominant one or not.
Thompson also has been nothing short of an elite wing rebounder in the instances that we’ve seen him. It’s not the NBA regular season, but Thompson averaged 10 rebounds per game during NBA Summer League and is averaging nine rebounds through two preseason games. If that translates when games matter, Thompson will force Cunningham and Detroit to play faster. Thompson’s rebounding, ability to push the ball up the floor and IQ will also allow Cunningham to set up on second-side actions on offense, too.
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It won’t be perfect for Detroit simply because only one person in the projected starting lineup has been an elite shooter at the NBA level, but if the development in Stewart’s shooting continues, as well as Cunningham’s shooting, the Pistons could surprise some people.
Getting the absolute best out of Cunningham will change Detroit’s fortunes. The Pistons believe Thompson could help accomplish that.
“He plays winning basketball,” Cunningham said of Thompson. “He plays super hard. He connects the floor very well. His playmaking ability is something, I think, should be talked about more. He’s a willing passer. He’s able to read the floor really well.
“Then, obviously, the way he gets after it on the defensive end is what’s going to make him a huge impact (on) Day 1. He’s got so many more things to his game that are going to help us win but continue to improve as he gets his experience in the NBA.”
(Photo of Cade Cunningham: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)