Detroit Pistons Coach Speaks on Ausar Thompson’s Restriction

Ausar Thompson is hitting his stride in year two with the Detroit Pistons.

Mar 3, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) dunks against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Late last season, the Detroit Pistons had no choice but to shut down their top rookie, Ausar Thompson, for a long stretch of games. As Thompson dealt with health issues, he was expected to be sidelined for months and needed clearance from the NBA before returning to action.

Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers marked Thompson’s 41st game this season. At this point in the year, Thompson seems to be restriction-free, as JB Bickerstaff spoke on his recent 30-minute shift against the Utah Jazz.

via @OmariSankofa: JB said Ausar is no longer on a minutes restriction. They communicate if he needs to catch a breath, but otherwise he's improved a lot as far as conditioning. "Utah was the first time he reached 30 minutes in a game, and doing it in a high altitude shows how far he’s come."

JB said Ausar is no longer on a minutes restriction. They communicate if he needs to catch a breath, but otherwise he's improved a lot as far as conditioning.

"Utah was the first time he reached 30 minutes in a game, and doing it in a high altitude shows how far he’s come."

— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) March 6, 2025

Thompson was limited to just taking shots after practice at training camp ahead of the 2024-2025 NBA season. When the Pistons fired up the season in late October, Thompson ended up missing the first 18 games of the season.

The sophomore came off the bench for 16 minutes in his season debut on November 25. From that point on, Thompson’s playing time has fluctuated based on what he could handle from a conditioning standpoint.

Mar 3, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) shoots a three point shot over Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

On some nights, he could go for over 20 minutes. In other outings, he would play for under 15 minutes. Eventually, Thompson saw a promotion to the starting lineup as the Pistons lost Jaden Ivey to an injury. While JB Bickerstaff seemed open to trying different lineups at first, Thompson quickly made the head coach realize he’s the logical fifth starter in Ivey’s absence.

Since February, Thompson has appeared in all 14 of Detroit’s matchups. Thompson has been averaging 13 points on 66 percent shooting, along with four assists per game on the offensive end. Defensively, he’s been coming down with five rebounds per game while collecting nearly three steals per outing.

More playing time will only put Thompson in a better position to succeed. The second-year wing remains one of the most dominant defenders at his position and continues to improve offensively.

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