Tobias Harris is one of the veteran leaders of the Detroit Pistons and used that status to send a message to coach JB Bickerstaff after the Pistons’ recent win over the Magic. The takeaway was clear: Play Ausar Thompson more.
The topic of Ausar Thompson’s minutes has been a hot one, and it came up again after he only played 21 minutes against the Magic even though he was clearly one of the most impactful players on the floor.
It doesn’t make sense, especially since JB Bickerstaff heaped praise on Ausar after the game, recognizing all the various ways he impacts winning.
Tobias Harris had his own message after the game, and even though he didn’t specifically mention minutes or coach Bickerstaff, this sounded like a thinly veiled message to his coach:
“I thought the biggest guy who gave the impact in that third quarter was A.T. He was everywhere flying for us, getting blocks, rebounds, pushing in transition. And that got our energy up and going, and we were able to convert in transition. And, you know, obviously just played a great second half and stayed solid all the way through. So, it’s a huge, huge effort from everybody, but those little efforts go a long way.”
Harris is a great teammate who wanted to give his guy his due even though he had a huge game himself. I can’t say for sure that this message was intended for coach Bickerstaff, but it’s something he needs to hear.
Ausar Thompson makes his teammates’ lives easier
Even if that comment wasn’t directly aimed at JB Bickerstaff, it shows exactly how Thompson’s teammates feel about him, as they rarely miss an opportunity to give him credit.
Thompson is one of those players whose immense contributions often go overlooked because he doesn’t put up gaudy scoring numbers, but he's the exact type of teammate every player wants to play with, as he'll do all of the dirty work and doesn't need the ball constantly to make an impact.
His value is difficult to quantify, as he not only blows up nearly every play the other team runs, but his deflections and steals lead to easy baskets that the Pistons desperately need.
When they aren’t getting out in transition, the offense sputters, so having Thompson out there is crucial for both ends. All of the numbers support this, from Ausar’s net rating, to his on/off numbers to his offensive and defensive win shares, etc.
But perhaps the most telling number is that the Pistons are 21-4 this season when he plays at least 27 minutes.
His teammates know this, which is why they try and make sure he gets some credit, especially after he was such a disruptive force. At some point, JB Bickerstaff needs to find ways to get Ausar more minutes, so hopefully he’ll listen to his veteran.