Pistons rookie could be key to a surprise play-in push by Detroit

Detroit Pistons rookie Ausar Thompson has what it takes to be "that dude" in today's NBA.

He's a 6-foot-7 athletic "freak" who can play both on the perimeter and in the paint. He's tough enough to bang around down low as a rebounder but his length will make him an absolute stopper against smaller wings.

Thompson showed off elite defensive potential in the NBA's summer league and snippets of runs this offseason have only added to that hype. If he can figure out his outside shot (he showed flashes of solid three-point shooting in the OverTime Elite playoffs), there's a world in which Thompson quickly becomes Detroit's second-best player behind 2020's No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham.

In fact, Pistons beat writer James Edwards III of The Athletic believes the rookie can be a starter in 2023. While that's not a mind-blowing prediction considering Detroit won only 17 games last season and is in desperate need of real talent, it would be a meaningful step in the right direction for Thompson to eventually start over veteran sharp-shooter Bogdan Bogdanović.

That wouldn't be NBA-changing news, but it would be a great sign for Detroit's future.

"Thompson, even with his shooting concerns, appears to be the exact type of wing this team needs at the right time," Edwards III wrote in a new opinion column. "I still think Bogdanović begins the season as a starter, though I wouldn’t be surprised if the veteran becomes the primary weapon in the second unit to begin the season to help keep him healthy and add a different dynamic to that bench group. Regardless if that happens or not, I do believe Thompson will be a starter by the trade deadline. The intangibles are there, and I think what we saw at summer league will translate fairly quickly to The Show, Time will tell, but it feels like Thompson has a chance to snag a starting job earlier than expected."

Detroit took Thompson with the fifth overall pick in this past draft and the Pistons certainly didn't take a player that high with hopes that he can be a role player. That was expected to be Thompson's role, at least as a rookie, though, so if he can accelerate that timeline it will only serve the Pistons well.

They've got a new head coach in Monty Williams who has a history of taking young teams and turning them into contenders. They have their potential superstar in Cunningham and a "Robin" to his Batman in second-year guard Jaden Ivey. They've got 6-foot-1, 250-pound center Jalen Duren, a perennial lob threat and a potential defensive anchor. They've got veteran shooting in Bogdanović, Monte Morris, Alec Burks and Joe Harris.

If Thompson can become the third prong of a new "big three" in Detroit, there's a chance the Pistons could surprise people this season. There's even a chance the play-in tournament could be in play.