Could Ausar Thompson Start at Shooting Guard?
Looking at the strengths and weaknesses of a starting linuep that features Ausar Thompson as the backcourt partner of Cade Cunningham.
Could Ausar Thompson start at shooting guard for the Detroit Pistons this season? It may not be as crazy of an idea as it sounds.
James Edwards III of the Athletic gave credence to this notion in a recent article he wrote surrounding Detroit’s depth chart heading into training camp.
The starting lineup thrown out in this piece was as follows:
PG: Cade Cunningham
SG: Ausar Thompson
SF: Simone Fontecchio
PF: Tobias Harris
C: Jalen Duren
This lineup configuration is not one I had considered when going over potential combinations, but it appears to be a lineup the Pistons are at least considering using.
Strengths of the Lineup
There is no question that the reasoning behind starting Thompson — even in an untraditional position for him — is due to his defensive abilities.
He proved to be the most team’s best defender last season and that should still be the case this year. Placing him in a lineup alongside Cunningham, Fontecchio, and Harris gives you the foundation of a group that should be able to hold its own on the defensive end of the floor. The lineup’s defensive ceiling, however, will be determined by the impact of Jalen Duren.
The size of this lineup is also incredibly intriguing. Cunningham would be the shortest player in the group at 6’6”. Rebounding on both ends of the court should be a strong suit, especially with how Duren and Thompson can create second chances for the Pistons on the offensive glass.
Weaknesses of the Lineup
Remember how often people clamored for the Pistons to get another offensive initiator on the court alongside Cunningham last season?
This lineup puts all the onus on Cunningham to be the sole creator offensively.
Thompson lacks the skill of a secondary creator based on what we saw last season. He lacks a tight handle, is not a downhill driving threat, and did not display the passing abilities necessary of a player you’d trust with the ball in their hands.
Perhaps the Pistons try to find some additional offensive creation elsewhere — I’ve thrown out the idea of using Duren at the top of the key doing some DHO and Zoom action similar to what Andre Drummond was doing in Detroit pre-Blake Griffin — but leaving all the playmaking on Cunningham seems ill-advised.
A lineup featuring Thompson instead of someone like Jaden Ivey or Malik Beasley puts a second non-shooter on the court alongside Cade Cunningham. The Pistons must prioritize floor spacing around Cunningham and putting both Thompson and Duren on the court with him makes doing so much more difficult.
In Conclusion
I don’t doubt the defensive prowess of the starting lineup we covered today, but I am concerned about this starting lineup’s ability to score the ball and keep up offensively.
That being said, Bickertsaff employed somewhat of a similar lineup last season in Cleveland, and it was a successful 5-man group statistically. According to Cleaning the Glass, the 5-man lineup of Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen was a +20.7 in 487 possessions. O
No matter what combination J.B. Bickerstaff goes with, it is bound to have several strengths and several weaknesses.
It seems three players are almost sure locks to be in the starting group: Cade Cunningham, Tobias Harris, and Jalen Duren.
Who they are surrounded with in the starting group will be one of the major stories heading into training camp and the start of the new season.