Ausar Thompson's return will affect 2 Pistons in the rotation

The Detroit Pistons got the best news of the season when it was announced that the league had cleared Ausar Thompson to return to action. 

This is fantastic and somewhat unexpected news, as most fans had resigned themselves to the worst-case scenario when it came to Thompson’s prospects for a quick return. 

Detroit’s defense has been much improved, even without Thompson, who is arguably their best defender, so adding him can only give a boost to what has been a strength for the Pistons thus far. 

But JB Bickerstaff has mostly run a 9-man rotation this season, so with Ausar returning, someone’s minutes are going to get cut. 

Thompson isn’t likely to play huge minutes right away as he works himself into game shape, and he’ll probably come off the bench, at least in the beginning. This is a prospect that should excite fans, as Thompson and Beef Stew (once Duren comes back) coming off the bench gives the Pistons two quality defenders who are versatile and give them a lot of options. 

If coach Bickerstaff wants to keep with the 9-man rotation, Ausar’s minutes are going to have to come from somewhere.  

Simone Fontecchio 

Fontecchio has not had a strong start to the season, as he is hitting just 35 percent of his shots overall and 30 percent from the 3-point line. 

He hasn’t been able to get into a rhythm and still looks a step slow, possibly the after-effects of the injury he suffered last season. 

He’s currently playing 18 minutes per game off the bench, but the Pistons desperately need him to start hitting some shots. 

If he doesn’t, he could be the one who hits the bench in favor of Ausar. There have even been suggestions that the Pistons could trade Fontecchio to clear the logjam. 

I don’t know about all that, as the Pistons still need his shooting, which you have to imagine will return to the norm at some point. Detroit has a positive net rating with Fontecchio on the floor overall, so he hasn't killed them, but he does need to hit some shots.

Ron Holland II 

The person most likely to see his minutes reduced is rookie Ron Holland II, who has been a positive at times, but last night showed some of the problems he presents, especially once Ausar Thompson returns. 

Holland has shot the ball decently overall, hitting at a 10 percent higher rate than Fontecchio from the field, but is hitting just 15 percent from long range. 

More importantly, teams are happy to let Holland shoot it, as we saw last night when Holland launched 3’s on four consecutive possessions when the defense sagged off him, making one of them. Holland has done a lot of other things well, but until he shows he can hit 3-point shots consistently, teams are going to be happy to let him take them.

He’s been aggressive going to the rim and has shown he can finish. He’s provided defensive energy off the bench, but as we saw last night, he’s tough to work into the half-court offense and is still making plenty of rookie mistakes, like when he tried to drive to the rim last night and plowed over Sengun for the charge when the Rockets’ center was in position well ahead of time. 

It’s going to be difficult to play Thompson and Holland at the same time until one of them starts knocking down 3-point shots more consistently, which is one reason why some questioned Langdon’s choice of Holland in the draft. 

That being said, I look forward to seeing both of them out there when the Pistons need a stop.

It’s a good problem to have, as the Pistons can always use more talent and depth, but it will be interesting to see how Ausar Thompson’s long-awaited return affects the Pistons’ rotation.