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Everyone knows Cade Cunningham is the guy for the Pistons. However, Ausar Thompson has been having a breakout month. In February, Ausar is averaging 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. He has also been much more efficient, shooting 67.4% from the field over that span. This is up from his season average of 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.7 steals on 53.8% shooting from the field. 3-point shooting has always been his downfall, and he hasn’t even attempted a single three in February. His best performance so far was a 16 point, 8 rebound, 4 assist, and 2 steal night against Charlotte. He followed that up with 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks while only missing one shot in a blowout 40 point win against Chicago. Remember, he is coming off of a potential life threatening injury. He was diagnosed with blood clots in March of last year, which all but derailed his season, leading to minute restrictions when he came back. Finally healthy, he will only get better as time goes.

Obviously, Ausar needs to get better from three, shooting 21.9% on the season. However, it seems Ausar has found his groove in the paint. With Ivey injured, he’s getting a lot more opportunities with the ball in his hands. Thompson has also been a pretty good defender, with a defensive rating of 108.2, and he is the 20th best defender in the NBA per CraftedNBA’s analytics. Thompson is only 22 as well, so he has plenty of time to get better. The only real negative I can see from his game is his long range shooting. He really needs to get some consistency if he’s going to be a true difference maker on offense. If he doesn’t, I see him as a small ball 4, or a ‘big’ 3 that offers some match-up issues for the opposing team. He is too fast and explosive for 4s to guard him, but he’s strong enough to guard them. He is too strong for 3s to guard him, and he’s fast and explosive enough to guard them. He could become a perfect lob threat type, who can also score with the ball when needed. I do see him getting better at shooting, though, which would make his game a nightmare for opposing defenses. He is an uber athlete, can defend well, and can score with or without the ball in his hands. Thompson can defend the 1-4, on or off ball, and offers length along the perimeter. Once the Pistons get a true 2nd option for Cade, I feel this Pistons team doesn’t need a lot more to become a contender, especially if Ausar takes the next step.

Things are looking up for the Pistons, and we could legitimately see them go from worst team in the NBA, to top 6 seed in just one season. Sitting at 28-26, things are looking up heading into the All-Star break.

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