Detroit Pistons’ First-Rounder Gets Hit With X-Factor Label

Who is the Detroit Pistons' X-Factor for next year?

Jan 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) battles for for the ball with his twin brother Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports | David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

You could say the pressure is turning up a bit for the Detroit Pistons heading into the 2024-2025 NBA season. Sure, they don’t anticipate a flip of the switch, instantly becoming playoff contenders after making some major changes, but seeing positive results is a must.

The front office has been revamped. As a result, the coaching staff saw major changes as well. There hasn’t been an overhaul of the roster, but the Pistons have made some key additions.

Heading into next season, who could be viewed as Detroit’s X-factor?

According to Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, it’s not any of the newly-added prospects such as Tobias Harris or Tim Hardaway Jr. The second-year former first-rounder Ausar Thompson gets hit with the label this summer.

The Case for Ausar

“With percentile rankings in block rate, steal rate, offensive rebound rate and defensive rebound rate that sat in the 88th percentile or better at his position last year, Thompson was a chaos-generator of the highest order. Already a solid passer with good instincts, Thompson's next step must be to score efficiently. If he can do that, Detroit will have itself an ideal complement to Cunningham. If he can't, the Pistons will have a hard time avoiding yet another step backward as they search for better building blocks.”

Being stuck in a rebuild for several seasons, the Pistons have found themselves in a position to land a high-end lottery pick for the previous five drafts. Last summer, the Pistons spent the fifth-overall pick to acquire Thompson from the Overtime Elite program.

Everything discussed about Thompson leading up to his NBA entrance went as advertised during his rookie campaign. Defensively, Thompson was standout. He averaged one block and one steal per game. On the boards, he accounted for nearly seven rebounds per outing.

Offensively, Thompson scored on 48 percent of his shots to average nine points per game. He found ways to score, but his shooting from long range proved his shot wasn’t ready to translate that early. Thompson’s most notable pre-draft knock gave his doubters a reason to say, “I told you so.” In 63 outings, Thompson averaged just 19 percent from three after attempting 113 threes from beyond the arc.

The 2024-2025 season will be the Pistons’ year of getting as many reliable shooters around the playmaking standout Cade Cunningham as possible. Thompson’s defense is good enough to mask the struggles from three for now. However, his ability to find consistency from deep will be key not only to his personal success — but to Detroit’s in general.