Ausar Thompson is in the midst of a breakout season, and he's doing it by hammering down on the things that made him great already. He's increased his averages across the board from last season, and had an incredible impact for the Pistons on both ends of the ball. In his most recent outing against the Celtics, Ausar had his best showing so far this season with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Ausar Thompson is leaning into his athleticism
Thompson faced a lot of pressure to expand his game during the offseason. With a lack of clear backup point guards on the roster, Thompson even tried his hand at the role in the preseason. But it was clear that he wasn't cut out to be a primary initiator for long stretches of time. There were also some calls for him to develop a 3-point shot, but that hasn't come along yet.
Instead, Thompson is continuing to use his existing strengths to dominate. His other-worldly athleticism makes even NBA athletes look slow, and he's used that to his advantage. 70% of his points so far in the young season have come in the paint, often going through or around tough opposition. Ausar has quickly realized that the best way for him to help a flailing Pistons offense is taking shots that he's capable of making, no matter how tough they are.
He's now up to averages of 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists across 3 games. He's definitely taken another leap as a playmaker but remains better suited for a role as a secondary creator. A lot of his assists have come in spots where his athleticism allows him to exploit weaknesses in the opposing defense, such as transition or offensive rebounds.
And defensively, Ausar has been incredible as usual. He's got 4 steals and 2 blocks through 3 games, but has made many more defensive plays which don't show up on the stat sheet. His help defense, especially in tandem with fellow wing menace Ron Holland II, have disrupted many opponents and led to fastbreak opportunities for both.
The only defensive area of concern for Thompson has been foul trouble. It's limited his minutes at times and forced early substitutions, but he managed to correct the issue against the Celtics. Ausar's impact on the court is obvious, and he routinely leads the Pistons in +/- . But staying on the court will be important to making a difference, and he can't do that if he's in foul trouble early.
So far, Ausar Thompson looks like he's taken his expected leap by doubling down on his advantages. Along with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, he's contributed to a dominant Pistons front line that has controlled the paint on both ends. His mind-blowing athletic ability and smooth handle have led to increased scoring and assist numbers, but he's wisely staying away from playing into his weaknesses just to expand his game.