Pistons season on the brink of disaster but at the right time

Ausar Thompson is arguably the Detroit Pistons’ 2nd-most important player, so it’s not hyperbole to say their season could be wrecked by any significant injury. 

Thompson had to leave last night’s game with an ankle sprain, and the Pistons have to hope it is minor, as there is just over a month left in the season, and they can’t afford not to have their best defender in the home stretch. 

Thompson has already missed time with a sprained ankle this season, so the concern is real, especially when his backup Ron Holland II also had to leave the game. 

Both players are listed as day-to-day for now, but Pistons fans will be waiting for that injury update with worry, as it’s fair to say the season may be teetering on the brink. 

If the sprain isn’t too serious, and Thompson just has to miss a few games, then all is not lost, and if it had to happen, now is the best possible time. 

The Pistons schedule and Ausar Thompson’s injury update 

Obviously, the best time for Thompson to get injured is never, as he is the engine that makes their defense go and was playing some of his best basketball of the season. 

But if the injury is minor, now is the best time for it, as the Pistons have a softer schedule with the Nets, Heat, Nets, 76ers and Grizzlies over the next week. There is one back-to-back thrown in there, and nothing is guaranteed in the NBA, but these are games the Pistons can win without Ausar Thompson. 

The Pistons can find the hot hand in Thompson’s absence 

If there was any positive from last night, it’s that JB Bickerstaff finally had to turn to some lesser used members of his bench, which he has stubbornly refused to do even though Caris LeVert has been awful. LeVert once again played 20 minutes last night and managed not to score. 

Kevin Huerter finally touched the court and put up seven points in 17 minutes and was a +15, so maybe he’ll finally get a chance by default that will force JB’s hand once the Pistons are back to full strength. I wouldn’t count on it, but we can hope. 

It also opens the door for the Pistons to experiment with other lineups, including moving Isaiah Stewart into the starting five and using Paul Reed as the backup center. 

Stew was a bright spot last night, knocking down 3-of-5 from long range, and Reed has played well all season and has arguably been the Pistons’ best bench player overall. This will give Bickerstaff the chance to go big with players who are actually performing. 

Of course, he could just move LeVert into the starting five and play him 30 minutes, which I wouldn’t rule out the way things are going. 

Disaster is looming for the Pistons, but hopefully they can make it out of this mess unscathed and a better team for it.