POP 2023 NBA Draft Profile: Ausar Thompson
The Detroit Pistons will have a plethora of options when it comes to how the franchise will utilize the fifth-overall selection in Thursday's NBA Draft. While the possibility of a trade down is always there, the more likely scenario is that Detroit will make a selection from a talented crop of collegiate players and lesser-known prospects outside of the NCAA, namely twins Amen and Ausar Thompson of the Overtime Elite. The 20-year-old brothers have received notable flack due to their experience advantage competing against athletes as young as 16 and 17-years-old, but it has become clear that these two were head-and-shoulders above the talent featured. While Amen has caught the eye of scouts more from his elite playmaking and otherworldly athleticism, Ausar is a similarly skilled player who may fit the mold of what the Pistons are building better
Strengths
Ausar boasts similar strengths to Amen in terms of explosive athleticism and creative playmaking chops. Standing at 6-foot-7 with an impressive 7-foot wingspan, Thompson also possesses the physical qualities of what matters in a great perimeter defender in today's NBA.
In his age-20 season with Overtime Elite, Ausar consistently filled the stat sheet on both ends of the floor, providing some optimism that he can eventually become a do-it-all perimeter talent in the NBA. One clear advantage Ausar does seem to have over his brother Amen is off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot ability. Amen was the lead guard for Overtime Elite, while Ausar operated as more of a combo-wing when the pair shared the floor. This gave Ausar more opportunity to refine his off-ball game and three-point shooting which, at 29.8 percent in the regular season, is far from impressive. However, both his attempts per game (7.8) and percentage (38.5) from deep skyrocketed during the City Reapers playoff run, hinting that he may possess ability to become an above-average NBA shooter.
Weaknesses
While Ausar showed bouts of explosiveness and playmaking ability, he does not possess them on a seemingly generational level like his brother Amen does. His shooting in the halfcourt, despite the impressive playoff numbers, left much to be desired for the majority of his recent campaign. Ausar is a gifted athlete and capable off-ball scorer, but he does not create shots for himself or finish at the rim at the level one might expect from an athletic wing with playmaking ability. Ausar does not change speeds with the ball in his hands with elite quickness that his brother does, meaning he may struggle as a creator to begin his career. Weighing in at only about 215 pounds, Thompson could have trouble containing bigger, stronger forwards on the defensive end - a problem other prospects like Jarace Walker and Taylor Hendricks likely won't have to deal with.
Fit
Ausar Thompson has one of the most seamless fits of any available prospect in this year's draft for the Pistons. With two talented centerpieces already in the team's backcourt in Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham, the franchise is likely looking to fill their gaping hole at both forward positions. Ausar, who projects more as an NBA wing, would serve as a much more obvious fit in Detroit's starting lineup . Unless his shooting translates, however, it will be imperative the Pistons add high-level three-point shooting via trades or free agency. With his all-around talent that reminds me of a young Andre Iguodala, seamless fit with the team's other young stars, and few glaring weaknesses, Detroit has been wise to keep their eye closely on the less-heralded Thompson twin.