Ausar Thompson had a big role to fill in the Pistons' season opener between increased offensive aggression and defensive responsibilities against Jayson Tatum. Ausar didn't quite live up to the offensive growth he showed in the preseason, but did walk away with 11 points including a late contested jumper over Neemias Queta to seal the win. Hopefully that dagger will give him more confidence to build his offensive game this season.
Detroit needs Ausar to grow offensively
Thompson generally looked more assertive on offense, as he went 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free throw line. When the Celtics sagged off him heavily, he made them pay at some points by driving to the rim and even attempting one corner three. That three-pointer didn't go in, but the confidence to take it was just as important at this stage.
He also used his space effectively to create looks for his teammates. Thompson finished with 5 assists and often got them through handoff screens when defenders sagged off him personally. That left him free to screen for a shooter and get them an open look. The Pistons got some decent shooting from their deep rotation of wings, and Thompson's screening was one reason why.
But he was still very passive over the entire game. Too many times, he waited for a play to develop while his defender practically ignored him rather than taking advantage of the open space aggressively. In this game, when the shooters were hot, that strategy worked effectively enough. But down the stretch of the biggest games, the Pistons need to have another weapon with Ausar himself hunting for a bucket.
The late buzzer-beater could have a chain reaction
Late in the game, Ausar received a pass from Cade Cunningham with very little time left on the clock. He caught it with less than 5 seconds left on the shot clock, forcing him to shoot a buzzer-beating midrange jumper over the outstretched hands of 7-footer Neemias Queta. The shot went in and put Detroit up 6 with 41 seconds remaining, practically sealing the win.
It was a classic example of Thompson at his best offensively - too little time to overthink and just enough room to attack confidently. He had some other bursts of properly executed confidence in the game, including a 360 layup off an offensive rebound from Daniss Jenkins. Ausar also leveraged his athleticism for 11 total rebounds, including 3 on the offensive glass.
As the season wears along, Thompson's flashes of confidence need to become more than just one-offs. For now, the Pistons should be encouraged by what they saw in the season opener and give him opportunities to continue building upon it.
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