Detroit Pistons: Marcus Sasser thinks the “hype is real”

It wasn’t a fun day for fans of the Detroit Pistons when the team dropped all the way to 5th in the 2023 NBA Draft after putting up one of the worst seasons in team history.

We dreamed of Victor Wembanyama for so long that anything else was going to be a let down, but even though Ausar Thompson is not considered a “generational” (god, I’m sick of that word) prospect, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about what he brings to the Detroit Pistons.

We’ll get our first look at him in action during Summer League, as the Pistons get underway soon and Thompson will be featured on the roster and probably in the starting lineup.

While the hype around Thompson may not be at Wembanyama levels, he is an elite athlete who will immediately be a fan favorite with his tough defense and highlight-reel dunks. And his fellow rookie Marcus Sasser agrees.

Detroit Pistons: Marcus Sasser thinks the “hype is real”

Sasser was asked recently what he thought of Ausar Thompson after scrimmaging with him for the first time. He mentioned the “crazy” athleticism, but also spoke about his basketball IQ, as well as his defense and cuts to the rim:

Sasser is clearly excited to get going with his new teammates, but we should save some of that hype for him as well. Thompson has gotten most of the attention so far, but Sasser is a very good player in his own right. Detroit obviously thought so, as they traded up to get him.

Sasser is Houston’s all-time leading 3-point shooter, a tenacious competitor who can create his own shot off the step back or knock them down on the catch-and-shoot.

He was one of the best volume 3-point shooters in the NCAA over the last two seasons and as you can see from some of these highlights, he has “in the gym” range. Though known more as a scorer than a playmaker, he can still be a secondary guy and make teams pay when they try to close out recklessly. Sasser is also a dawg on the ball and will endear himself to Pistons’ fans with his defense.

This hasn’t been the dream offseason that some imagined but Thompson and Sasser will help the Detroit Pistons right away, and in a few days we’ll start to get an answer on whether the “hype is real.”