Detroit Pistons fans were buzzing yesterday with the news that second-year wing Ausar Thompson has been cleared to play basketball again.
This is a welcome development, as the Pistons could certainly use all the little things that Thompson does that help win games. For example, the game against Houston came down to securing defensive rebounds and 50/50 loose balls, two things Thompson does well, so if I had to bet, I’d say Detroit probably would have won that game against the Rockets had Thompson been in there.
He won’t be back tonight against Miami as he gets back into game shape, but we can expect Thompson’s return soon.
The Pistons played solid defense against the Rockets, but it came down to not being able to get buckets when they needed them. Some of their vets (Tobias Harris, Simone Fontecchio) haven’t really gotten going even though both Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey have had strong starts.
Thompson’s return does present an issue for the offense, one that the Rockets put under a spotlight for a few minutes in their tight win over Detroit.
Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II: Creating space
The Houston Rockets clearly had a gameplan when it came to rookie Ron Holland II, which was to back off and dare him to shoot.
Holland is only hitting 15 percent of his 3-pointers this season (though his shot looks good), but has been good finishing around the rim, so the Rockets just sagged off him and dared him to shoot rather than take it to the rack.
Holland shot 3-pointers on four straight possessions and only made one of them, with other three ending up as transition offense for the Rockets.
While Thompson offers much more on offense in terms of playmaking and passing, he too is a poor 3-point shooter, so it seems impossible that these two could share the floor for more than a couple of minutes without the half-court offense being a shambles.
If both Thompson and Holland are on the floor, teams are just going to back off, clog the lane and double/trap whichever lead guard is in the game. If that guard is Jaden Ivey, the Pistons are going to have trouble, as he has not been particularly good at initiating the offense or taking care of the ball with Cade on the bench.
While the defensive possibilities with Thompson and Holland out there are exciting, it’s hard to see it working in any situation other than one in which the Pistons have the lead and need a stop.
Of course, this problem will disappear the minute one or both of the talented wings start knocking down 3-point shots at a higher rate, which they eventually will. Both guys can make you pay in other ways, but it will be harder for them to be effective if teams are allowed to just back off and sag into the lane.
JB Bickerstaff and the Pistons have to hope this is a short-term problem, as we are talking about a rookie and a second-year player here, so it’s far too early to say these guys can’t shoot or will never be able to.
But until they prove it, two of the Pistons’ core players will have a tough time sharing the floor, which could develop into an issue.