2023 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Blazers and Bulls find new life

It can be easy for Ausar Thompson to flicker and fade next to the spotlight on his brother Amen, but frankly, that shouldn’t be the case. He is perhaps not quite the athlete Amen is, but we’re still talking about a top-2 percentile kind of athlete in the NBA. Thompson can bend space and time attacking the rim or gunning ahead of the defense in transition.

For Charlotte, this is easily the most natural fit on the board. Thompson would thrive next to LaMelo Ball in a transition-oriented offense. He’s an excellent playmaker who sees the floor and processes the game as well as any 20-year-old on the board. There will be an adjustment going from the low level of competition in Atlanta’s Overtime Elite league to the NBA, but Thompson has all the indicators of a future star.

Just speaking in terms of raw entertainment value, it’s hard to complain about either of the Thompson brothers ending up in Charlotte. With Ausar, however, the Hornets are getting the more proven defender and a legitimate stopper on the perimeter, something the team has desperately lacked for what feels like the last half-decade at least.

The biggest hurdle for Thompson at the next level will be his 3-point shot, which can still falter at times. He’s a deadly slasher and an impressively well-rounded contributor, but his hypothetical partnership with LaMelo won’t flourish completely unless he develops into a reliable spot-up shooter.