It's obvious that Ausar Thompson remains one of the most important pieces to the Detroit Pistons' current vision as a team. Now, in order to make the leap from an intriguing young role player into a legitimate star, the Pistons should hope to see Thompson take the Scottie Barnes blueprint and use it as a guide in sharpening his offensive game.
Ausar has already shown flashes of what he can become. His defensive metrics through his first two seasons have placed him among the league’s best young wings. His ability to guard multiple positions, rebound, and create chaos off the ball has been elite thus far. Offensively is where he has a lot more room to grow. Through his first two professional seasons, Thompson has averaged 9.4 points and just 19% shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
When Barnes entered the NBA in 2021, he had many of the same questions initially surrounding him as well. Scottie began his professional career with elite defensive skills, an advanced feel for passing, and a shaky jumper that was rather flat and with a slow release. But what he did was work to refine his mechanics and improve his approach gradually.
Ausar Thompson should try to emulate Scottie Barnes
What that led to was Barnes earning his first All-Star selection by his third season in the league. It's that kind of model that is the perfect kind of template for a young defensive star like Thompson to try to follow.
If Ausar can make similar strides in hitting his open threes, punishing switches, and becoming better at making decisions off the catch, it truly could transform everything for Detroit. If that were to happen, Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey would have even more proper spacing to work with, and the Pistons' half court offense would become that much more tenable. And Thompson, whose energy and defense already sets the tone, becomes the two-way engine that holds this team's young core together.
The defensive foundation for Ausar Thompson is already set, and we know what kind of hard worker he is. If he can follow this blue print laid out by Scottie Barnes, Detroit's next breakout star might already be in their locker room.