A 20-5 start to the season is just about as good as anyone could have hoped for from this Detroit Pistons team. They've utterly dominated their competition, and Ausar Thompson's defensive expertise has been one of the more underrated reasons why.
The third-year wing has proven that he's unquestionably one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the entire NBA this season. As his offensive game continues developing, he remains a defensive stalwart that makes life extremely frustrating for anyone who has the misfortune to be matched up with him. Ultimately, Ausar's impact is the kind of element that will give the Pistons a major boost in the playoffs, and make them a true threat to win the East.
Detroit’s success this season has come largely from their commitment to being a defense-first group, and Ausar fits that identity as well as anyone on the roster. Thompson routinely disrupts entire offenses by taking away first options at the point of attack. When the Pistons force teams deep into the shot clock, Ausar is usually the one who creates that chain reaction.
Ausar Thompson's defense elevates this Pistons team
What makes him so dangerous is that he can guard basically every archetype. Quick guards can't shake him because he mirrors their footwork and absorbs contact so well. Bigger wings struggle even more because he takes away their space and forces them into contested looks. Even elite scorers have needed screens just to find daylight. It's increasingly clear that Ausar’s individual dominance is what makes Detroit's entire defensive system run like clockwork.
His growth has also allowed the coaching staff to be more flexible with the Pistons’ rotations. Detroit can trust Ausar to handle the toughest matchup every night, and that freedom lets the rest of the roster stay home on shooters and rotate with precision. It's a big reason why the Pistons have been able to close games with poise and force opponents into low-efficiency type possessions.
At the end of the day, Ausar isn't just a matchup nightmare, either. When he gets a steal, it usually turns into a transition opportunity, and the Pistons are at their most dangerous when they run. What he does fits so well with the teammates around him. This roster looks 100% built for the postseason, where half-court execution and perimeter defense can decide an entire series.
If Detroit continues winning at this rate, the biggest storylines will remain with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. But the more you watch, the more obvious it becomes that Ausar Thompson is the defensive engine behind everything. He's turned the Pistons into a team nobody will want to see come springtime, and he's still only scratching the surface of what he can become.