The Detroit Pistons went with the very best participant obtainable up to now version of the NBA Draft.
They didn’t contemplate the match subsequent to their present roster, which is one thing groups usually do when the participant obtainable is simply too good to go.
To date, it looks like Ausar Thompson is proving them proper for taking that method, as he’s been an elite contributor to their workforce.
In response to StatMuse, Thompson and Rudy Gobert are the one two gamers with at the very least 50 offensive rebounds and 25 blocks this season.
Gamers with 50+ OREB and 25+ BLK this season:
Rudy Gobert
Ausar ThompsonA 3-time DPOY heart and a 6’7″ rookie. pic.twitter.com/T6xQapMC3u
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 23, 2023
That’s outstanding if you happen to contemplate the truth that we’re speaking a couple of 6-foot-7 rookie.
Thompson is getting a beating evening in and evening out, placing his physique on the road and snatching rebounds proper off the arms of a few of the most bodily huge males within the league.
He’s been an elite assist defender, getting chase-down blocks and excelling by forcing his opponents to the baseline and creating live-ball turnovers.
Not many groups would’ve gotten a combo guard after already having Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey of their previous couple of drafts.
However Thompson has confirmed that he can slide to the small ahead spot and use his size, power, and athleticism to protect one via 5 and refill the stat sheet on any given evening.
In fact, that hasn’t translated into a lot success for the struggling Pistons, however Monty Williams has a promising workforce on his arms, they usually’re simply one other piece away from constructing one thing particular on this league.
