CHICAGO — Finding the right key can open doors and for the Detroit Pistons, Ausar Thompson’s maturation is unlocking their offense at the right time.
One of the most sought-after draft picks of 2024, Thompson’s integration into the Pistons lineup since Thanksgiving has been one of the driving forces behind the team’s upswing. He’s also been a boon for the team’s young core as they head into the All-Star break with a winning record for the first time in 16 seasons.
On the second night of a back-to-back in Chicago, Thompson matched his season high with 19 points, had a career-high seven assists and five rebounds in 28 minutes.
Because of conditioning, the 22-year-old wing is playing at this level and is still yet to log a 30-minute game this season. Assuming Thompson maintains his conditioning over the break, one can expect his performance to continue to flourish the more minutes he’s able to play.
“He’s growing into his role that this team needs him to be,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the 128-110 win. “Offensively, we need him to be a threat. He is an elite playmaker and a special passer but now you see his confidence growing as he’s finishing at the rim. He’s attacking the basket, putting foul pressure on people and defenses have to account for more. He just adds as another weapon for us.”
Going into All Star break 29-26. 6th Seed.
And we’re not done. #DetroitBasketball
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) February 13, 2025
Thompson’s most impressive assist, and the one that notched his career high, came with 1:07 remaining in the game. Cade Cunningham lobbed the ball for Thompson, who Cunningham seemingly expected to finish with a dunk. Instead, Thompson hung in the air, briefly gained control of it and tipped the ball to Jalen Duren for an emphatic slam.
Cunningham finished with a game-high 29 points on 9-of-19 shooting, seven assists and five rebounds. Duren kept his strong play going, adding 16 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.
The trio of the franchise’s young cornerstones in Thompson, Cunningham and Duren then jogged to the bench with the game all but decided.
Considering Thompson entered Wednesday’s matchup with only 59 NBA starts broken up by issues with blood clots across two seasons, his progression could feel ahead of schedule. He’s scored in double figures in 11 of the Pistons’ last 13 games, has gotten several reps initiating the offense and is generally more aggressive when seeking out shots for himself.
“It helps the group when you diversify the point of attack and now you get into different actions with a different ball handler, people in different positions than they’re used to being in. Him being able to initiate adds tempo,” Bickerstaff said. “He plays with a great pace to get us into our stuff early. There’s so many things he does that changes the way defenses have to monitor us.”
It’s a stark contrast from the Thompson earlier this season who attacked the paint with the primary purpose of spraying the ball to teammates for 3-point attempts. Thompson has also yet to hit the 30-minute mark in any game this season, so he’s making the most of his 23.9 minutes over this stretch.
Similar to Duren’s uptick in proficiency, if Thompson continues to hone his offensive skills and become a threat to opposing defenses, he might have the potential to push the Pistons’ ceiling higher than any player on the roster not named Cunningham.
“He’s just putting it all together now and it’s great to see,” Tobias Harris said of Thompson. “Every player has their own journey and I just think that you’re seeing him blossom into his game and really figure out his spots on the floor. … As he continues to gain that confidence in his game all around, he’s going to be a hell of a player in this league.”
Harris has been playing well of late himself. He added 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and two steals. The veteran is averaging 17.9 points on 53.7 percent from the field and 4.9 boards over his last nine games leading into the break.
Another play that illustrated how intent Thompson was on scoring came a few minutes into the third quarter. Thompson rolled to the basket after setting a screen for Cunningham, and Cunningham found him. Rather than looking to kick the ball to Harris on the short roll, Thompson patiently waited for the right opportunity to power up off two feet for the two-handed slam.
“It definitely makes things easier on me,” Cunningham said from the locker room. “I think it makes things easier on everybody. I’m not able to provide pace all the time. Just having that mix, I think, it really brings a different dynamic to our offense. Obviously he can make every pass, get to the rim and score over 95 to 99 percent of the league. So, I think it’s a great mix for us.
“Especially leading into All-Star Break experimenting with it. And then now, coming out of All-Star break, I think it’ll give us a different dynamic that’ll be good for us in the playoffs.”
Plays like these remind defenders Thompson is a capable scorer and open up passing lanes later in games for his teammates. Thompson has been good for four assists per game over his last seven and he notched a career-high six assists just three games ago.
While his game has taken significant steps offensively, his defensive versatility and effectiveness have never wavered.
Thompson will represent Detroit in the Rising Stars game in San Francisco on Saturday, an opportunity he views as a “huge accomplishment.” And when the Pistons return to action Feb. 21, at the San Antonio Spurs, he looks to continue to unlock his potential.
(Photo: Matt Marton/Imagn Images)
