It’s always a crapshoot when it comes to what, if anything, you can take from the NBA preseason, which is filled with did-not-plays and largely disjointed, experimental rotations.
But for newcomers to teams—rookies, in particular—there are valuable, noticeable observations that can be drawn. How are youngsters handling the pace of play? What do they do when the ball isn’t in their hands? And when they do have it, how well are they able to see the floor?
For forward Ausar Thompson, the Pistons’ No. 5 pick this past June, all those questions were answered fairly quickly during his preseason debut Sunday against the Suns.
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There was the dribble drive he made that ended with a beautiful wraparound pass to Jalen Duren for a dunk. There was Thompson’s movement without the ball—first for a dunk off a pass from guard Killian Hayes, then another dunk off a backdoor cut from the top of the arc—that showcased the rookie’s IQ in a half-court setting. The 6'7" wing made plays at the rim and from 45 feet away. He successfully kicked the ball to Cade Cunningham in the corner for a triple as three defenders collapsed on him near the hoop. And two plays later, Thompson blocked star guard Devin Booker in a one-on-one situation, then grabbed the loose ball and lofted a pass all the way to half court for Cunningham, who gracefully finished the play with a layup over Kevin Durant.
Perhaps his most impressive play, though, was the one that tied the contest and sent it to overtime. With nine seconds left and the crowd on its feet, Thompson lined up a triple from the left corner and sank it. For the night, the 20-year-old finished with 12 points, 10 boards and six assists in 39 minutes of work.
To some, Thompson’s play wouldn’t have been a surprise. He was fantastic in Summer League, too, averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals per game on efficient shooting through four appearances. He certainly performed like one of the league’s best rookies during that brief circuit. Still, success against mostly first-, second- and third-year players doesn’t assure competence against a higher level of play.
As a forward, Thompson appears to be a great fit with this Pistons club, which already had a pair of capable guards in Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, along with young, improving big men in Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley III.
Interestingly, coach Monty Williams opted to start Thompson alongside Cunningham and Alec Burks, leaving the talented Ivey to come off the bench. It wouldn’t be surprising if that changes, though: The Suns dominated the Pistons offensively in the first and third quarters, putting up a whopping 80 points combined in those periods alone.
But regardless of whether Thompson is ultimately a starter going forward, his skill and talent are without question. And that’s a plus for a Detroit team that hopes to show vast improvement this coming season.
