AUSAR Thompson

Thompson's best game of the young season came on October 20, a win over the Celtics. He finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists in 33.2 minutes, and the Pistons were plus-12 with him on the floor. That is his first double-double of the season and his heaviest minutes load so far. The game before that, on October 16 against Toronto, he scored 12 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists in just 19.4 minutes. Against Minnesota on October 14 he had a quiet 4-point night but still posted 4 rebounds and 4 assists with a plus-10. His one rough outing was the October 10 loss to Washington, when he had 2 points and 1 rebound in 15 minutes and the Pistons were minus-17 in his time on the floor.

Last season Thompson played 73 games for Detroit at 26.0 minutes a night. He averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks, with just 1.5 turnovers. The shooting splits tell the usual story for him: 52.5 percent from the field, but 25.0 percent from three and 57.1 percent at the line. His true shooting was 54.5 percent on a 16.8 usage rate, so he was not asked to carry the offense. The number Pistons fans point to is the plus-5.4 plus-minus, which says the team played well with him out there. The 2.0 steals per game are the calling card. He is a defender first, and the extension pays for that.

Thompson's last five games before this season were all against Cleveland in May, and the series was a mixed bag for him. Detroit lost four of the five. His best game was the May 15 win, when he had 10 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in 24.4 minutes and the Pistons were plus-12 with him on the floor. He logged 40.6 minutes in the May 13 loss and finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. The May 11 loss was the low point, 4 points and 4 rebounds in 18.7 minutes with a minus-27. He closed the series on May 17 with 5 points and 7 rebounds and no assists in a loss. The scoring never got above 10 in any of the five games, which is the part the Pistons will want to see change this year.

Thompson is not on the injury report and there is no injury history on file for him. He has played in all five Pistons games this season, with minutes ranging from 15.0 to 33.2. Last season's 73 games were a full workload for a rotation player. The variance in his minutes so far looks like matchup-based coaching rather than any health issue, and the 33.2 minutes against Boston suggest the staff trusts him in a big game. For a player whose value is built on defensive activity and athletic plays, staying available matters more than it does for a shooter, and so far there is nothing to flag.

The Pistons are 4-1 through five games and Thompson has been a positive on the floor in four of them. The question for him this season is the same one from last year: can the shooting climb from 25.0 percent from three and 57.1 percent at the line? If it does, the 2.0 steals and the plus-minus become part of a starter-level package instead of a specialist's. The 12 points in under 20 minutes against Toronto and the double-double against Boston are early signs that the offense is coming. Pistons Notes reports from October 7 and September have linked him with Duren, Holland and Cunningham as the group the team is building around, and the five-year extension puts the front office's money behind that.