Ausar Thompson landed at No. 18 on FanSided's 25-under-25 NBA Player Rankings this season, ranking the best young players in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list here.
Hyperbole runs rampant when discussing the NBA. It's all "greatest" this, or "most disappointing" that. However, I do not think it's hyperbolic to say that we've never seen a player like Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson before. Well... except for his twin brother, of course. The Thompson Twins are ghostlike, seemingly gliding above the hardwood at all times, turning corners and transporting from one spot to another with a unprecedented fluidity.
And while Amen might get more publicity, Ausar has stayed nearly stride-for-stride in his development, which is pretty astounding considering he missed the end of his rookie season and start of his sophomore season with a blood clot. No matter; when Ausar did return to the Pistons lineup in November, he went on to post the No. 7 Defensive EPM in the league, tied for No. 2 in steal rate, and tied for No. 10 in defensive box plus-minus (with Giannis, for the record).
Those stats are backed up by the eye test, too. Ausar pops off the screen as a member of Detroit's already-good defense (No. 10 in defensive rating last season) and he does so by prowling the perimeter and the paint like a predator looking for pokeaways and languorous handles from unsuspecting opponents. When he locks on to prey, it's wise for them to rid themselves of the ball. Deciphering how to score on Thompson is a physics problem with no clear answer. I picture a professor standing in front of a whiteboard with his head in his hands, shouting, "How do we get past him?! It makes no sense!"
Comprehensive defensive impact is where Thompson earns his stripes, and is why he will likely make this list each year until he ages out of consideration. He's a near-singular presence on defense, a player who can be inserted into any lineup and make a positive difference thanks to a rare combination of instincts and athleticism that stands out even among the world's most impressive athletes.
His foot speed is elite, and his recovery time (on the rare occasions he gets beat) allows him to never fully be out of a play, and lets his teammates stay home on their men because they're (rightfully) confident Thompson will be able to recover.
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Offensive promise, but not as much production
Offensively, Thompson remains a work in progress. A project on that end, if you will. But he's a fun project, in large part because Thompson's combo of size (6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan), strength, handle in transition, finishing (he shot nearly 70 percent at the rim last year), cutting skills (he had 30 dunks off cuts last year, via The Athletic), and passing instincts (exhibits one and two) often compensate for his lack of shooting.
With all that being said, though... There definitely is a lack of shooting, which is a big reason why Thompson averaged just over 10 points per game last season and not more. Thompson made all of 11 3-pointers, and wasn't much better jump shooting inside the arc either, evidenced by his 20 percent clip from 10 feet out to the 3-point line.
Thompson can survive without a jumpshot. He already is! And I never expect him to be a 40 percent 3-point shooter. You shouldn't, either, so please don't hold your breath on that.
But the obvious comparison for Thompson — Jimmy Butler — is a great example of a shooting-challenged forward who still became an elite offensive option because he learned to be good enough from outside of the paint that defenses were forced to respect his shot just enough, allowing him an easier path to where he really wants to be; in your chest, then at the hoop. In other words, Thompson doesn't need to be a pure bucket-getter to be a reliable scoring option.
Ausar Thompson is the second building block in Detroit
Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, and Ron Holland could all be part of a successful team in the long run. But I see them ending up as really good complementary pieces on a contending team. Ausar Thompson, meanwhile, has the upside to be the guy whom other players complement. After Cade Cunningham, I believe Thompson is the most important part of Detroit's future. The other guys are necessary, but Thompson is essential, and a healthy season in 2025-26, on a Pistons team with higher hopes than they've had in over a decade, should make that obvious.
Ausar Thompson is 112 games into his NBA career, and it's hard to find an advanced impact stat that rates him outside of the top 100 players in the league. That's not common. At all. What makes him so exciting as a player, and why he makes our 25-under-25 list, is that this is the worst he'll ever be.
He takes too much pride in his defensive output to slip on that side, and there are too many positives in his offensive game to be concerned that his jumpshot will deter him from future All-Star status. The feel, the strength, the playmaking, the willingness to move without the ball and always be attacking the hoop.
Having a sibling get more attention than you is probably kind of annoying, especially when you're doing almost as well in your career. But Ausar Thompson is a near-guarantee to make his own (first) name in his third season with the Pistons and remind the basketball world why he was a top-five pick in 2023, too.