Thompson roared out of the blocks during his rookie season, despite some obvious flaws on the offensive end of the floor. He quickly established himself as an elite rebounder from the wing position, tallying double-digit boards in eight of his first 14 games. During that time, he also recorded a total of 17 steals and 24 blocks, providing elite defensive production in anyone's book. However, Thompson was benched after Christmas, playing fewer than 20 minutes in eight of the next 10 games. He then shifted back into the starting lineup before having his season cut short due to blood clots. When all was said and done, Thompson finished as the 180th-ranked player in standard leagues, averaging 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game. The Pistons have made more than a few lineup changes during the offseason, bringing in Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway and Paul Reed while re-signing Simone Fontecchio and drafting Ron Holland. While depth is certainly a good thing in terms of reality, it creates a logjam of which Thompson is likely to be a part. Poor shooting could once again cap Thompson's upside, making him more of a defensive specialist with rebounding potential. Thompson is worth a flier at the backend of drafts, but managers will want to keep a close eye on his playing time. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a two-year, $16.35 million contract with the Pistons in July of 2023. Contract includes $8.78 million team option for 2025-26.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
After being deemed a five-star recruit during his time at Pine Crest High School, Ausar Thompson decided to sign with the Overtime Elite basketball league with his brother, Amen, rather than play collegiately. Instead of playing high school basketball as a senior, Thompson was part of Team Elite during the 2021-22 season, where he won the inaugural OTE title and was named the Finals MVP. During the 2022-23 season, he joined City Reapers, where he was named MVP behind 16.3 points on 48/30/67 shooting, 6.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game. Again, Thompson led his team to an OTE championship and won the Finals MVP. Thompson's highlight-reel offensive plays get most of the attention, but the wing's defense might be where he makes the biggest impact out of the gate. He's hyper-athletic and versatile, which may allow him to defend all positions but center, especially when the other team runs small. He'll jump in passing lanes and pick pockets to start fast breaks, and he's a great shot-blocker for his size. Offensively, he's best with a head of steam toward the basket, whether than be on or off the ball. When he has the ball in his hands, he's an excellent passer who has demonstrated patience and precision. Thompson has the look of a potential star, though he may need to follow in the steps of other two-way playmaking wings without knockdown-jumpers. Most NBA comparisons come with a caveat - a more passing-focused Jimmy Butler, a longer Markelle Fultz, a bouncier Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It may not be in Year 1, but Thompson could end up as the primary ballhandler for a team soon.
ANALYSIS Thompson's rookie season was cut short in March after undergoing treatment for a blood clot. He finished with averages of 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals across 25.1 minutes in 63 regular-season games. The Pistons are likely playing it safe with the 21-year-old, as he is expected to ramp up on-court activity during the summer and be ready for training camp in the fall.
2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
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Advanced Stats
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2023
Stat Review
How does Ausar Thompson compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
52.2%
Effective Field Goal %
50.5%
3-Point Attempt Rate
23.5%
Free Throw Rate
24.8%
Offensive Rebound %
8.9%
Defensive Rebound %
19.6%
Total Rebound %
14.2%
Assist %
10.8%
Steal %
1.9%
Block %
3.2%
Turnover %
11.3%
Usage %
0.0%
Fantasy Points Per Game
24.1
Fantasy Points Per Minute
1.0
Total
Per Game
Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Pistons Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Ausar Thompson was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
FantasyDraft
Head2Head
Sorare
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2023 Fantasy Outlook
A five-star recruit during his time at Pine Crest High School, Thompson decided to sign with the Overtime Elite basketball league with his brother, Amen, rather than play collegiately. Thompson's highlight-reel offensive plays get most of the attention, but the wing's defense might be where he makes the biggest impact out of the gate. He's hyper-athletic and versatile, which may allow him to defend all positions but center, especially when the other team runs small. He'll jump in passing lanes and pick pockets to start fast breaks, and he's a great shot-blocker for his size. Offensively, he's best with a head of steam toward the basket, whether that be on or off the ball, due to his poor shooting. When he has the ball in his hands, he's an excellent passer who has demonstrated patience and precision. Thompson has the look of a potential star, though he may need to follow in the steps of other two-way playmaking wings without knockdown-jumpers. Most NBA comparisons come with a caveat -- a more passing-focused Jimmy Butler, a longer Markelle Fultz, a bouncier Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. While Thompson doesn't project to be a primary ballhandler with the Pistons as long as Cade Cunningham is around, his career could begin to trend in that direction. Whether Thompson starts or comes off the bench, he should at least see 25 minutes per game for a Detroit team featuring forwards like Bojan Bogdanovic and Isaiah Livers. In four Summer League appearances, Thompson averaged 13.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.8 blocks in 29.2 minutes.
More Fantasy News
Ruled out for season
FDetroit Pistons
Illness
March 20, 2024
The Pistons announced Wednesday that Thompson will miss the remainder of the season while being treated for a blood clot, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Absence to continue Wednesday
FDetroit Pistons
Illness
March 19, 2024
Thompson (illness) will be inactive Wednesday against Indiana.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Won't play Monday
FDetroit Pistons
Illness
March 18, 2024
Thompson (illness) won't play Monday against the Celtics.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Remains sidelined
FDetroit Pistons
Illness
March 16, 2024
Thompson (illness) won't play in Sunday's game versus the Heat.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Another absence coming
FDetroit Pistons
Illness
March 14, 2024
Thompson (illness) won't play in Friday's game against Miami.
ANALYSIS Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Minutes in jeopardy
FDetroit Pistons
February 7, 2024
Thompson's 15.0 percent shooting on 1.6 three-point attempts per game could be a usage-limiting factor in the context of Detroit acquiring Simone Fontecchio from Utah on Wednesday.
ANALYSIS Thompson's infrequency and failure to credibly space the floor could be viewed as a limiting factor to the development of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. The rookie has flashed plenty of defensive versatility and two-way energy, but Fontecchio brings 39.1 percent shooting on 4.7 threes per game to Detroit's rotation while representing a veteran option who has competed in international competition and has the size to compete defensively. It will be interesting to monitor Thompson's minutes share over the coming weeks.