The Detroit Pistons have put the NBA on notice that they are no longer the punching bag of the league.
A big part of their improvement this season has been their surprising surge on defense, as they didn’t add any elite defenders in the offseason, instead focusing on offensive spacing with the additions of Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malik Beasley.
The defensive improvement really started in earnest when Ausar Thompson was inserted into the starting lineup, as the Pistons have been a top-5 defense since the beginning of January and have moved up to 13th in the league overall in defensive rating after being 30th just last season.
We knew Thompson was going to be a good defender, as he has alien athleticism, a high basketball IQ, understanding of defense and a non-stop motor. Defense is about will and effort and Ausar Thompson has plenty of both.
He’s also not short on confidence, as he revealed in a recent interview with “For the Win” of USA Today Sports when he declared himself “the best perimeter defender in the league” and said he hopes to win a Defensive Player of the Year award in the future.
Is Ausar Thompson the best perimeter defender in the league?
When I first read this, I chuckled a bit, but then started to think about it: Is Ausar Thompson right?
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anyone who is clearly better, though there are certainly other players who have arguments, but if you polled the NBA right now and asked them which perimeter defender players would least like to play against, I am sure Ausar Thompson would get some votes.
He has the size, length, quickness and athleticism to make just about any player’s life hell, which he’s been doing all season, averaging 1.6 steals per game and playing smothering on-the-ball defense.
Here’s a good breakdown of Thompson’s defense and in it you’ll see him guarding everyone from Kyrie Irving to Franz Wagner.
Thompson does have areas he needs to imrprove, namely that he gambles a bit too much at times, which we saw on the buzzer beater vs. the Hawks, but he also has the quickness to recover most of the time, so I don't see this as a big issue.
If Thompson isn’t there now, he has a good chance to be the league’s best perimeter defender, as we have to remember he didn’t even have an offseason or training camp this year and is only now back to 100 percent.
Can Ausar Thompson be Defensive Player of the Year?
The short answer is yes, but the obvious longer answer is that there is a 7-foot-4 Frenchman by the name of Victor Wembanyama standing in his way.
Wemby has this year’s DPOY award sewn up, and barring injury, that might be true for the next decade.
Whether it should be is an argument to be had, as big men tend to win this award even though the game has shifted more to the perimeter, so one could argue that perimeter defense is more important.
Of course, with Wemby you get a guy who can basically do both at the same time, so good luck to anyone trying to win DPOY anytime soon.
Whether Thompson ever wins that award, the Pistons still have one of the best defenders in the league and he’s only in his second season. I expect Thompson to make a huge leap with a full offseason and training camp and to make the All-Defensive team next season.