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Detroit Pistons Celebrate Major Ausar Thompson Milestone vs Pelicans

Ausar Thompson reached a major milestone in the Pistons-Pelicans matchup.
Justin Grasso|
Mar 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) blocks a shot by New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins (24) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Mar 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) blocks a shot by New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins (24) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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Defense might be the bread and butter for the former first-round pick Ausar Thompson, but the Detroit Pistons forward has been flashing versatility across the board throughout his first two seasons in the NBA.

As the Pistons paid a visit to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night, Thompson ended up surpassing 1,000 points in his career. On Tuesday, the Pistons celebrated the major milestone with a dedicated post on social media.

via @DetroitPistons: Last night, Ausar Thompson surpassed 1,000 career points. He’s just getting started

Just last year, the Pistons acquired Thompson during the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Coming out of the Overtime Elite program, Thompson was a top-five selection for the rebuilding Pistons. Considering the state of the franchise, the then 21-year-old landed a day-one role.

In 63 games, Thompson flashed defensive brilliance. While he didn’t have a great year from long-range, Thompson averaged nine points on 48 percent shooting with six rebounds per game.

Thompson’s rookie season was derailed due to health issues late in the year. He was also forced to miss the first stretch of his sophomore campaign as well. At this point, Thompson is cleared and back in action without any restrictions.

After Monday’s game, Thompson appeared in his 47th outing. This season, he’s averaging 10 points on 55 percent shooting from the field along with five rebounds per game. Once again, the young wing is establishing himself as a starting-caliber player in this league.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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