Ausar Thompson has quickly realized that getting himself open when Cade Cunningham is double-teamed can create easy offense for the Pistons. It's something we've seen him do more in the last two games as the Pistons offense has bounced back after a rocky start. Ausar is wisely prioritizing his offensive fit around Cade to maximize his impact.
Ausar Thompson is doing all he can to support Cade Cunningham
In the last two games, Cade has been absolutely dominant as a playmaker. He's up to 28 assists in that span against just one turnover. It's an unheard-of stat line for Cade, who has routinely been among the league's leaders in turnovers throughout his career. Ausar's efforts to help Cade navigate pressure and double teams has been a great help during this span.
With the Pistons offense struggling out of the gate, it looked like they would have to wait until Jaden Ivey's return from injury to relieve pressure from Cade. But Ausar has cleverly managed to make Cade's reads easier by consistently flashing to open spots when Cade gets doubled. Against the Mavericks in Mexico City, Ausar did this multiple times to initiate 4-on-3 offense for the Pistons. It limited Cade's turnovers and created easy advantages for the rest of the team.
Ausar is not as talented as a self-creator or overall scorer as Ivey yet. But his ability to make the right plays on offense increases his overall impact and elevates the Pistons' ceiling. He might not be a natural point guard just yet, but he has the athleticism and decision-making to exploit advantages created by Cade. When he gets the ball with room in the middle of the floor, Ausar can easily get to the paint and create good looks for himself and teammates.
It's been an incredibly unselfish role for Thompson to play, but one that makes a big difference for the Pistons. Ausar is the direct beneficiary sometimes when he's able to score directly after flashing to an open spot on the court. But it's more frequent to see him extend the advantage and make plays for others. Many times, these don't result in an assist for Ausar or Cade as the ball swings around the team before finding a great open look.
Ausar is showing great maturity and basketball IQ by doing more off-ball to support Cade. His efforts make the offense more dynamic and solidifies his own place in the Pistons core long term. Ausar has already taken a big jump statistically this season, but his impact is going even beyond the counting stats. With just one simple new wrinkle, he has helped the Pistons reach new heights.