There were a lot of Detroit Pistons fans who were disappointed when the outcome of the 2023 NBA Lottery was revealed. Despite having the worst record in the league at 17-65, they dropped the maximum amount of slots possible in the lottery.
Instead of having the No. 1 pick and the chance to select phenom Victor Wembanyama, the Pistons ended up with the No. 5 overall pick. With that selection, Detroit picked Ausar Thompson from the City Reapers of Overtime Elite.
While there was likely disappointment originally, since Thompson has taken the court, you cannot help but be excited about what the future holds. While the offensive side of the ball is a work in progress, Thompson is already producing at an elite level on defense.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons Updates
In fact, he made some history at the start of his NBA career. Through four games, Thompson is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, totaling 42 and 10, respectively. Those are elite numbers for a wing player and puts him in a rare class.
Per OptaSTATS, in the last 40 seasons, only four other players, Shaquille O’Neal, Dikembe Mutombo, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon have reached those totals in the first four games of their NBA career. All of those players were dominant centers in some facet of the game, standing at least 7 feet tall. Thompson is a 6’7” small forward, making this feat all the more impressive for him.
The Pistons roster is overflowing with young, high-upside talent from all of the high draft picks they have made in the last few years. But, Thompson brings something the others don’t as he already has an elite skill in his impact defensively.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons Updates
The potential to be a two-way star is there. The defensive end is normally the one young players take the longest to adjust on, but Thompson looks to have already figured that part out. Once he figures things out offensively, as he is currently shooting 32.4 percent from the field and 14.3 percent on 3-pointers, his game will be taken to another level.
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