If you haven’t bought stock in Ausar Thompson yet, I don’t know what you’re waiting for, as he has arguably been the Detroit Pistons’ best player so far in the young season, including taking on many of the ball-handling duties.
We knew Ausar was an all-world defender already, and we knew he was explosive in transition and on the offensive glass (his rebounding last night saved the game), but he’s already tapped into a new level of aggressiveness with the ball in his hands this season.
Cade Cunningham has been getting swarmed by everyone, including last night, when the Celtics picked him up full court for most of the game and tried to get the ball out of his hands.
It’s a tiny sample size, but Ausar already looks far more comfortable with the ball in his hands and even pulling up for mid-range jumpers. His shot isn’t going to win award for its grace and beauty, but he’s nearly impossible to stop when he gets the rim, as he’s so quick and explosive.
His usage rate is already up in the young season, but most importantly, his turnover rate has dropped from 13.3 percent last season to just six percent so far in this one. A small sample size, yes, but it appears the work he put in on his handles has paid off, as Thompson is taking much better care of the ball. His 4.7:1 assist-to-turnover rate is precisely what the Pistons need while Jaden Ivey is out.
But what happens when he comes back?
The Detroit Pistons need to lean into Ausar Thompson
We need to see a lot more of course, but if Thompson keeps this up, it’s going to be hard to take the ball out of his hands and just hand over that role to Jaden Ivey, who has been a turnover machine for his career so far.
That doesn’t mean Ivey won’t handle the ball, especially when Cade Cunningham is out, but right now, Thompson looks every bit of the second star the Pistons need, so it could create some awkwardness when Ivey returns.
Could we see Ivey moved to the bench? Possibly, but in the end, this is a good problem to have, as the Pistons need to take some of the pressure off Cunningham, who has struggled mightily with turnovers so far with teams focusing most of their defensive pressure on him.
Getting Ivey back will just add another creator, another guy who can handle the ball and make the Pistons more difficult to defend.
It might make for a bumpy transition at first, but the Pistons are proving they have depth and more than just one guy who can handle the ball.