The Detroit Pistons lost. It's the headline that most will focus on, as the Pistons fell to 6-2 after a close but frustrating game against the Philadelphia 76ers. What was learned along the way, however, is that Ausar Thompson's apparent improvement on offense is more real than anticipated.
Thompson still has significant question marks to address, but he's shaking off some of his more passive tendencies and is beginning to assert himself in a way the Pistons should love. He proved as much with a season high in field goal attempts.
Thompson is by no means expected to be an offensive star at this stage of his career, but Detroit is hoping to see improvement. He does everything imaginable on the defensive end of the floor, but has consistently passed up open looks and shied away from opportunities to attack.
Though the Pistons lost to the 76ers, Thompson made sure his impact was felt in virtually every way with 11 points, 17 rebounds, two offensive boards, three assists, and a steal.
Thompson's explosive performance on the glass continued the current trend of the promising wing setting a new career-best average in rebounds per 36 minutes in 2026-27. The clash with Philadelphia also marked the third time in four games that he scored in double figures.
Most importantly, Thompson's 10 field goal attempts were the most he's attempted all season—perhaps the most encouraging development of all.
Ausar Thompson sets a new season high in FGA vs. 76ers
In addition to setting a new season high in field goal attempts, Thompson continued a promising offensive trend. He's now attempted at least nine field goals in three of his past five games, and tallied seven field goal attempts and five free throws in one of the others.
Furthermore, Thompson has been taking on a bigger role as a playmaker this season, with his three assists against the 76ers being his second-lowest mark of the season.
This will continue to be a slow and at times frustrating process, as Thompson can go full halves without necessarily making his mark on offense. He is still shouldering the most unique defensive workload in the NBA, however, and may not ever be an ideal candidate to be a No. 2 scoring option.
What he can and is beginning to do, however, is prevent teams from positioning the Pistons to play 4-on-5 when they have the ball.
Ausar Thompson is finding ways to make an offensive impact every game
Yes, the ideal scenario would be for Thompson to be able to knock down open jump shots at an efficient enough clip that opposing teams get a hand in his face. If that day hasn't yet come, however, then all the Pistons can realistically ask of him is that he shows signs of progress.
An example of the progress that's being made is the fact that he's now shooting 68.4 percent from the free throw line after burying just 57.1 percent of his attempts in 2025-26.
Thompson has also shot 75.0 percent or better in three of his four games with at least three free throw attempts this season. If nothing else, that's offering signs of hope that simply sending him to the line won't work. That alone makes his drives even more lethal, as teams don't have such an easy tactic to resort to.
It won't always be an easy process to appreciate, but Thompson is making considerable progress in his assertiveness, shooting efficiency, and playmaking. Even in a loss, that's worth celebrating.
Add us as a preferred source on Google