Healthy Offseason Sets Stage for Pistons Player to Shine

Dealing with a health issue, Ausar Thompson’s first NBA offseason was spent putting up shots after practice without going through any actual workouts with the team.

The Detroit Pistons’ former first-round pick was eager to get back on the court and contribute in his sophomore season. It took 18 games to pass by before Thompson was cleared to come off the bench for a 16-minute shift against the Toronto Raptors in November.

At that point, Thompson had to play catch-up. This time around, the Pistons should benefit from having Thompson in the mix from the start of the offseason and into the preseason. By the time they debut in late October for the start of the 2025-2026 campaign, the third-year wing should be in much better shape this time around.

Trajan Landon’s Thoughts on Thompson’s Availability This Time Around…

Apr 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) dunks against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) in the third quarter during game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

“We’re excited he’s going to have a full summer of getting in the gym, working on his strength and getting stronger,” the Pistons’ President of Basketball Operations told The Athletic. "(He’s) getting more stable, getting more agile on the floor, working on his skill, working the shot. He’s going to be more ready coming into camp. He wasn’t even able to have a camp last year, either.”

Since his rookie season, Thompson has been one of the NBA’s most promising defensive stars. He’s averaged one steal per game in 122 matchups. While his long-range shooting has been a question mark from the jump, there was improvement in that department last year.

In 59 games, Thompson attempted 49 threes. He improved his average from deep by four percent. It’s not a notable jump, and still well under the league average for his position, but the standout wing has plenty of time to fine-tune his jumper without any setbacks this time around.

“He couldn’t even train with his teammates last year during the summer, the preseason or roughly the first 20 games, so that is going to be an advantage for him. It’ll be an advantage for us,” Langdon added.

Since landing on the Pistons as the fifth-overall pick in 2023, Thompson has found ways to produce on offense, averaging nine points per game, making 51 percent of his shots from the field. In the playoffs, he upped his production to 12 points per game, making 57 percent of his shots.

Regardless of whether he expands his range with a consistent three-point jumper or not, Thompson will play a key role for the Pistons in 2025-2026. The fact that he’s healthy and ready to go from the jump will be a major boost this time around.

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