Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard scored 55 points in 112-99 victory over the Pistons on Sunday night.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard scored 55 points in 112-99 victory over the Pistons on Sunday night.
Los Angeles — Detroit Pistons’ Ausar Thompson has a handful of individual goals he would like to accomplish during his NBA career.
The hope is to have a decorated career that someday will earn him a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He also hopes to build a career that will put him ahead of his twin brother, Amen Thompson, and give him the everlasting upperhand in the sibling rivalry.
Thompson aspires to earn several of the league’s top accolades, from All-Star selections to championships. His primary individual goal, however, is to one day earn Defensive Player of the Year honors — an award he has shown the potential to win.
“It is a cooler accolade to have next to your name, even more so for non-big men,” Thompson told The Detroit News. “Every single night, I try to lock down the best player and do all of the things that will not appear on the stat sheet.”
Since beginning his career as a lottery selection in 2023 (the No. 5 overall pick), Thompson quickly has established himself as a prominent defender who is capable of guarding every position with his 6-foot-7 stature.
He has been at the forefront of Detroit’s defensive success, sharing the anchor responsibilities with Isaiah Stewart. Thompson has helped the Pistons put together the league’s second-best defense, with a 110.9 defensive net rating while holding their opponents to an average of 112.9 points per game.
Thompson currently leads the Pistons in a handful of defensive categories, averaging a team-best 4.5 deflections and 1.5 steals per game. The top defensive attribute he has shown through this season has been his ability to pick up his defensive assignments 94 feet.
“It has been fun, picking up full court. I feel like it gets my legs going, and it sets the tone for the rest of the game,” Thompson said. “It can be tiresome at times, but more so, it’s a mindset thing. … I want to be able to shut down any player. I want it to be known that when I am guarding you, it will be a tough night.”
Picking up his defensive assignment full court has been vital to the Pistons’ ability to disrupt opposing teams’ half-court offenses. It’s a testament to his versatile skill set, but more so an illustration of his growth in studying and applying the lessons he has learned to improve on the defensive end.
“It is very rare that you can find a player who is that disruptive at the point of attack, especially at that size. He can keep smaller and bigger guys in front of him. … If you can bring the team’s first actions down to about 17 to 16 seconds, the numbers show that offensive efficiency drops at a huge rate,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
“There are so many things that he can do. He can protect the rim. He can get steals and deflections. He does so many things that make him a one-man disruption. I have not had a player like him before. He is the best that I’ve coached as a complete defender.”
The Pistons’ first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks established a foundation for the team’s success this season. The six-game series provided several players with a blueprint for areas to improve upon during the offseason. For Thompson, improvingv his defense was the top priority.
After his on-court workouts during the summer, Thompson spent a great deal of time studying film of his primary matchup against Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
While reflecting on several missed opportunities, Thompson began to grasp the importance of knowing when to be aggressive and when to step back. As a result, he believes he has made significant improvements in his defensive play, particularly in reducing the number of fouls he commits.
His most significant illustration came during the Pistons’ 110-102 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 22, when he picked up three fouls in the first quarter. Rather than getting frustrated, Thompson took a deep breath, regained his composure and leaned upon his offseason training.
He proceeded to deliver one of his most impactful performances of the season, finishing with 18 points, 12 rebounds and four steals inside the Moda Center.
“It’s the difference in personnel and where he picks them up, his ability to read situations and then understand how he can apply pressure to those guys,” Bickerstaff said. “He is a student of the game. He watches so much film. He studies the guys he will be defending. Learning their tendencies and how he can be disruptive on a night-in, night-out basis, he has taken huge steps there.”
Thompson’s aspirations on defense stem from watching the league’s top two-way players from the past decade. He grew up in the Bay Area, studying several players who captured his imagination. However, amid his desire to win Defensive Player of the Year and have his name alongside his heroes, Thompson acknowledges he still has a long way to go in his ongoing pursuit of greatness.
“Growing up, I just loved two-way players,” Thompson said. “I was a big fan of Kobe (Bryant), LeBron (James), Kawhi (Leonard) and even Giannis (Antetokounmpo). I was just a fan of players who can do it on both sides of the ball…All-Defense, DPOY, those are my goals.”
Pistons at Lakers
▶ Tipoff: 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles
▶ TV/radio: NBC/Peacock, FDSN/97.1
▶ Pistons injuries: Caris LeVert (left knee soreness; questionable)
▶ Projected lineups: Pistons — guards Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson; forwards Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris; center Jalen Duren. Lakers — guards Luka Doncic, Marcus Smart; forwards Rui Hachimura, LeBron James; center Deandre Ayton.
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