In the spirit of overreacting to one preseason game, everyone is overreacting to Detroit’s preseason opening win against the Phoenix Suns. I am just as guilty as everyone else, but I think people are misdiagnosing the thing worth getting most excited about.
Ausar Thompson, fresh off of signing a new five-year, $155 million deal to become a core member of Detroit’s contending future showed out in his limited minutes against the Suns. The defensive forward scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting to go with
three steals, a couple rebounds, and a couple of assists. Nothing eye-popping, to be sure. So what has everyone excited? The shooting stroke looked clean and the 12-footers were going down. The vision was sharp. The passes were crisp. People walked away thinking he suddenly developed a jump shot or a distributor. That’s true, in a sense, but he’s had those short jumpers in his bag for a while and his vision has always been good.
The true revelation, and the thing that could unlock his game and the Pistons’ potential, is his handle. He looked so much more confident in running the offense and navigating multiple defenders and reads because the handle was tight, and he was in total control of the ball. He could better execute what he’s always seen and processed. In previous years, the handle was so loose that he was dangerously turnover-prone and might be a step or two late with his passes. Not against the Suns. It was peak efficiency (for a non-shooter).
More specifically, it’s the kind of execution that turns Thompson from a total offensive liability that could be schemed against and played off the floor during the playoffs, and suddenly becomes a weapon that allows you to play as many minutes as your endurance and the situation dictate.
Everyone, including the Pistons, knew Thompson’s perimeter shot was lightyears away if it ever comes at all. If he is ever going to be a plus offensive player, it was always going to be because he has the ball in his hands with the ability to use his athleticism and his processing to find opportunities for himself and for teammates closer to the rim. The Pistons wanted to develop those talents last season, but it barely lasted 10 games. They were forced to pivot because it became clear his handle was so janky that it was effectively self-destructive.
At Pistons media day, Ausar talked a lot about being open to being more selfish, which really meant being more aggressive with the ball in his hands.
“I feel like the way I was working on it was stepping out of my comfort zone. You know, being even extra aggressive. Sometimes, you know, I make a lot of the right reads, so sometimes you know, just be a little selfish,” Thompson said.
A Thompson with a tight handle can certainly be more aggressive and, yes, selfish. He will more effectively use his burst to get to the free-throw line, dish out to open teammates when defenders collapse on him, and navigate pick-and-rolls or hedging defenders.
It also allows him to get to his own spots where he will have a more confident and smoother transition into his jumper, even if the range of said jumper is limited to about 16 feet out. Space is space, and a Thompson with an improved handle can create space and take advantage of the space created by his teammates.
That doesn’t mean that Ausar is suddenly destined to score 18 points a game or average seven assists tonight. But it does mean he would have an offensive role on the floor as a primary or secondary ball handler, in high-leverage situations. More importantly, it keeps his All-NBA defense on the floor as much as possible.
It is the kind of thing the Pistons need to be contenders. Ausar showed the promise of the offseason in Game 1 of preseason. React accordingly.
