Ausar Thompson
It may be a little early to name Ausar Thompson as one of the most athletic Pistons of all time, but to be honest, I’ve seen enough already.
Thompson just looks different out there. He has that quick-twitch muscle that scouts love, but can also fly end-to-end as fast as anyone in the league.
He can jump out of the building, but it’s the control he has that is really impressive, as he seems to be able to manipulate his body in the air as if he’s spending all day up there.
Just the way he moves his feet on defense is impressive, as we saw in the first preseason game when he was able to stay in front of Devin Booker and then completely engulf his shot with a block. His recovery and foot movement here is impressive:
Yes Thompson is only a rookie, but I’ve been watching the Detroit Pistons for a LONG time and I can’t recall anyone whose athleticism was more impressive outside of Rodman and maybe Grant Hill.
He’s going to be fun to watch this season, as Thompson is not just a raw athlete, he has amazing basketball awareness on both ends and is going to make some special plays.