The question has always been when and not if rookie Ausar Thompson would be forcing his way into the startling lineup for the Detroit Pistons. The No. 5 overall pick from Overtime Elite has showcased a full arsenal of skills in his brief time in Summer League and in training camp for the Pistons. He is likely already the team’s best defender, and his size, strength, and elite athleticism on the wing are traits few in the NBA possess in such abundance.
True to form, Thompson was named a starter in Detroit’s first preseason game, and that move might be permanent. The surprise, though, is who Thompson could be replacing compared to last year’s starting unit.
If we are to take coach Monty Williams at his word, Thompson would replace the team’s other No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey in the starting unit.
That comes directly from Williams, who said after the team’s practice on Tuesday that the hamstring injury that kept Bojan Bogdanovic out of the lineup led him to shift Thompson from starting shooting guard to starting small forward and then to put veteran Alec Burks into the starting lineup. Ivey came off the bench, and it might be his role going forward.
Monty said, barring injury, that would have been Bogey in Burks’ spot.
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) October 10, 2023
Both Thompson and Ivey played well in their roles. The rookie led the team in minutes (39) and finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and a block. He mostly excelled on defense with extremely tough assignments. Ivey didn’t let a potential demotion get him off track, and he finished with 15 points on eight shots and added four assists and a much improved 3-point shot (he was 3-of-6 from deep).
Those reading the tea leaves saw Ivey coming off the bench as a real possibility with the team reaffirming its commitment to Isaiah Stewart in the offseason with a new multi-year deal. That seemed to lock in a starting spot at power forward next to Jalen Duren in the front court. That left three spots open — Cade Cunningham was obviously taking one at lead guard, but that left three players vying for two spots between Ivey, Thompson and Bogdanovic.
The case for Bojan is that he could function as the sharpshooting, veteran, steady presence in the starting lineup who could significantly space the floor to allow Cade and someone else to operate. The case for Ivey was that he improved every season of his rookie year, could score and playmake to take pressure off Cade, and that he was the elite athlete the startling lineup so desperately needed. Unfortunately for Ivey, the case for Ausar is largely the same. He offers the same playmaking ability and elite athleticism as Jaden, but he adds even more size and is a potentially elite defender.
It appears Thompson made his case that he can provide the starting unit skills nobody else could, and an offshoot of that decision led Williams to prioritize Bojan’s shooting instead of Ivey’s ability to add scoring and a third playmaker onto the floor.
Williams also said that in the more immediate term, the injury to Bogdanovic might force the team to rethink the starting lineup for now. “We’re not sure what we’re going to do with the injuries. It’s not a convo we’ve had just yet. I’ve always been straight with players,” he said, per The Athletic’s James Edwards III.
Is This the Right Move?
The big question is now whether Williams’ gambit is going to pay off. The team has been preaching defense since media day so the pathway for Ausar to start was obvious. But as much as he can pass and defend, he’s not really a shooter. Neither are Cade Cunningham or Isaiah Stewart. Both COULD be shooters, of course, and Cade will have the ball in his hands and so its less vital for him to be an immediate 40-percent catch-and-shoot guy.
Stewart is being penciled in as a power forward who will shoot 5 threes per game. That’s great if he’s hitting 39% of them. If he shoots 32% from deep like he did last season then suddenly it is going to be a huge problem. Ivey’s not yet a lockdown shooter, either, but he did hit better than 36% from deep from January through April last season.
This will get Bojan on the floor to provide some crucial spacing for Cunningham (and Thompson), but it puts a slow, poor defender out there every night and that negates plenty of Bogdanovic’s offensive value. If the team had opted to make Bogi a reserve, it could have hidden some of his defensive limitations while also allowing him to feast on even easier offense against reserves.
As it stands, the team is counting on Ivey to do the feasting against potentially overmatched backups, and playing in a reserve role will allow Ivey to take on most of the offensive responsibility in bench-heavy units. He will have the ball in hands plenty while sharing the court with veteran Monte Morris, Marvin Bagley, Killian Hayes and Joe Harris.
That unit’s defense … well, might be best not to talk about that. But it can certainly score, up the pace on the floor, and put pressure on defenses.
What do you think of this new wrinkle to Detroit’s rotation plans? Happy for Ausar? Sad for Jaden? Skeptical of Monty? Feel like it’s a slam dunk no-brainer?