Wild lineup idea shows advantage Pistons must explore

Ausar Thompson can play anywhere on defense 

Amen Thompson was often charged with running the offense then defending power forwards and even centers on the other end last season for Houston and that is exactly how the Pistons can use Ausar. 

He has the athleticism and strength to hang with just about any player in the NBA outside of a few centers like Joel Embiid who no one can guard.  

If playing Thompson at the five seems crazy, ask yourself who you would trust to get a stop against a big, him or Jalen Duren? Him or Isaiah Stewart? 

Thompson can defend up, which can create mismatches in short spurts, as there is not a center in the NBA who can stay in front of or run with Ausar. 

This allows the Pistons to have more shooting and offense on the floor, especially when the other team is running smaller lineups or has a power forward on the floor who isn’t a shooting threat, which would allow Harris to sag off and help on the center. 

And after each stop, you tell Thompson to sprint to the other end and dare any big in the league to keep up with him.  

Thompson is also an elite rebounder for his position, so you don’t lose much there. It’s not something JB Bickerstafff can use all of the time, but Thompson’s defensive versatility is a weapon the Pistons did not take advantage of last season. 

This lineup could also give the Pistons mismatches on the other end they can exploit.