Ausar Thompson has three weeks to develop huge playoff weapon for Pistons

With Cade Cunningham out for an indefinite period with a collapsed lung, the Pistons will need someone to step into the role of playmaker, and Ausar Thompson will have a chance to seize that role. 

The Pistons did it as a group last night, with Daniss Jenkins, Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser combining for 16 assists in their best Cade Cunningham by committee impersonation. 

As much as fans ridiculed JB Bickerstaff for his use of LeVert, he has to hope that faith will pay off now that the Pistons are desperate for him to step up. 

Thompson played just 24 minutes last night, as he is still on restrictions with his ankle injury and his results as a playmaker were mixed. He did initiate the offense at times and ended with three assists, but he also had two turnovers, which he will have to cut out as he takes on more responsibility in the offense. 

Coming into the season, we hoped Ausar Thompson could be this guy, and now he’ll get a chance to prove it, which could he huge for the Pistons in the playoffs. 

Ausar Thompson has three weeks to become a weapon 

All we know about Cade Cunningham’s injury timeline so far is that he’ll be evaluated in two weeks. The Pistons are hoping his collapsed lung is healed at that time, but even if it is, he’ll have to ramp back up to playing in games and could be out another week or two. The best-case scenario is that the Pistons have him back for the first-round of the playoffs, and it might be overly optimistic to expect more. 

That gives Thompson a few weeks to cut his teeth as a point forward who looks to create for his teammates. Thompson has shown he’s a slick passer with great court vision, but he’s also had the propensity to dribble into traffic and cough up turnovers. 

Thompson is at his best when he’s on the move and has shown he can make plays out of the short roll, so the Pistons need to keep him involved in actions as both a ball handler and screener. 

It’s more difficult to use Ausar in pick-and-roll actions with Jalen Duren, as Thompson doesn’t have the scoring gravity Cade Cunningham has, which is what makes Duren so dangerous as a roll man. 

Coach JB Bickerstaff will have to get creative, keep Ausar moving and not allow his lack of outside shot to damage the spacing. And it would help if Thompson could start knocking down those foul-line jumpers that are there for him out of the short roll pretty much any time he wants them, which will open up cutting lanes he can exploit with his passing. 

No one player is going to replace Cunningham, but if Thompson can get more comfortable operating as a playmaker, it will help the Pistons overcome their biggest weakness in the playoffs when and if Cade returns.