The Detroit Pistons have finished the October portion of their schedule and couldn’t be happier with rookie Ausar Thompson.
His defense and rebounding have made an immediate impact and he’s a huge part of the shocking improvement we’ve seen on the defensive end.
Thompson entered the season as a big long shot for Rookie of the Year and he still is, as Fanduel has his odds at +2900 to win the award.
Those odds are likely to shift soon, as Ausar Thompson has been filling up the stat sheets and the Pistons might be a little better than people expected.
So here’s a look at the early NBA Rookie power rankings after the first week. It’s still very early but some of these names will be the frontrunners for Rookie of the Year this season, including Ausar Thompson.
NBA Rookie power rankings week 1: Ausar Thompson in the top 5
#5: Dereck Lively II
It was unclear whether Dereck Lively III would start right away for the Dallas Mavericks, but so far the 19-year-old has been in the starting lineup for two of their three games.
He’s giving them an efficient 20 minutes so far, averaging nine points, six rebounds and a block while shooting 85.7 percent from the floor, which leads all rookies and is near the top of the entire NBA.
Lively II doesn’t have to do much more than grab offensive rebounds (2.3 per game) and dunk while providing rim protection and so far he has done that for a Mavs team that hasn’t lost a game.