Ausar Thompson is still learning, but it’s really hard to tell that the Detroit Pistons’ rookie doesn’t have a lot of things figured out already. The defense. The IQ. The anticipation on both sides of the ball. The athleticism. It all pops … all the time.

Detroit is off to a surprising 2-1 — and could very easily be 3-0 — start to the season and Thompson is a big reason why. The No. 5 pick in June’s NBA Draft has started every game for the Pistons, averaging 6.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.3 blocks, and has made some big defensive plays late in Detroit’s victories over both Charlotte and Chicago. The presence of Thompson has aided heavily in the apparent return to defense in the Motor City. It’s early, and it’s hard for one player to completely alter an entire defense, but Thompson is doing his part.

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Offensively, Thompson is low maintenance. He cuts. He attacks the rim. He tends to only shoot jumpers when he’s open. He’s had flashes of creating for others. With more seasoning, there’s a world where he’s a legitimate secondary creator.

Throughout the preseason, Thompson showed many flashes of what made Detroit fall in love with him. League sources say the Pistons would have taken Ausar over his twin brother Amen, who went No. 4 to Houston, if the Pistons and Houston Rockets flipped picks. I’ve also heard they may have taken Ausar Thompson even higher than fourth. Detroit was high on the wing, and even before the regular season began, it was easy to see why.

Earlier last week, Thompson sat down with The Athletic to watch clips from his four preseason games. The 20-year-old, 6-foot-6 forward shed light about his thinking on the court, on both sides of the ball, how he processes the game, his knack for cutting and much more.

Let’s get into that conversation, equipped with each clip that was discussed, below. Enjoy!

I want to start with this clip because it’s very impressive the way you navigate screeners on the defensive end, whether you’re going under or over. Guys don’t often stop you in your tracks. When in your basketball life did that become such a focus for you?

I don’t want my man to score when I’m playing. It’s easier in an iso situation, but when I have to get off of a screen, I just try to avoid it. Last year (at Overtime Elite), we did a lot of getting-over-screen footwork. I worked on it a lot.

Now to the play. I feel like I know the answer, but what led to the decision for you to go under Chet Holmgren’s screen here?

I went under because I know he’s not going to stop and shoot that long shot, especially going right. He’s right-handed. That would be a crazy shot. I knew I could beat him to the spot. Also, I know if he bumps me that I can take the contact. I knew he was going to try and bump me because we were going down hill, but we’re both similar weight. I knew I could take the contact. I just gambled on it.

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Fast forward to the closeout on Luguentz Dort. It’s a bit of a scramble situation between you and Killian (Hayes) once he gets the ball. You both just dart toward Dort. Are you aware that the shot clock is low or were you just trying to contest a shot you felt was your responsibility after the passes?

I do know that the shot clock is low. It’s hard to see in the game, but I could see it in Dort’s face. That’s the only reason that I knew.

My interpretation of this clip is that it’s a designed play. Cade (Cunningham) takes your spot as you begin to go to the ball. It looks like Josh Green is expecting you to get the ball in a handoff situation or fade out to the perimeter. You beat him. They can’t help off Cade in the corner, and (Dereck) Lively seems occupied by the threat of being screened again. It all just happens fast.

Is the plan for you to curl and attack and try to create the advantage with Cade, hoping his man tries to help?

Actually, the play wasn’t for me to necessarily curl. Honestly, it wasn’t really even a play, it was a set. It wasn’t for me to curl. I saw him behind me. And although he’s athletic, once I saw him behind me, once I curled and saw Lively up top, I thought it would be an easy dunk.

You’d be bailing him actually by going to the perimeter and getting the handoff.

Yup. I probably curled because it was a guard-to-guard situation and they’d probably switch it, to be honest. That’s the real reason.

We’ve talked a lot about cutting. In this specific clip, what triggers the idea to cut most: Killian being in trouble or the head…

My defender’s head turning. It’s a mix of both, but he fully turned his head, wasn’t paying attention. Eric Gordon is flat-footed. I saw that and immediately cut.

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I’m not sure if you’ve realized this yet, but, as trivial as it sounds, not every player in the NBA is a good or instinctive cutter. Most aren’t. Your timing with your cuts, recognition, has been an obvious strength so far. In your opinion, why are you a good cutter?

It comes from playing with my brother. I know he’s looking to throw me lobs. Catching lobs is pretty fun. That’s how I learned how to cut. Also, it’s just an easy bucket.

Ausar and Cade two-way sequence this is what dreams are made of pic.twitter.com/alc7ReVdg0

— Rip Haminkton (@RedAlternates) October 8, 2023

I don’t have a question for this clip. Just take me through this play and what you remember.

Two times before this play, (Devin) Booker got me with … you hear about the bumps and you work on guarding bumps, but you’ve got to experience them in game. Two times before, I did the exact same thing and I got hit with a bump and he bumped me pretty hard. This time, like I talked about in the Jalen Williams play, I learned from Booker that I have to beat him to the spot and prepare for the bump. Most of the time, the guards I’m defending aren’t stronger or we have similar strength. Once I prepared for the bump, he couldn’t really bump me.

You’ve talked about wanting to show people you can be a good spot-up shooter, but, until you prove it, teams are going to go under on screens. However, you tend to eat up the space they give you, make defenders guard you. Have you learned that taking up the space is the best way to combat teams going under or are you still figuring it out?

I feel like, you know, when teams play off me they think it’s a super advantage. I’m either going to shoot it or … typically when someone plays off of you, they see it as a break. They’re tired. Lazy. So, if you put pressure on them, they have to break out of the laziness. They got to do something.

As for the pass, I knew (Bradley) Beal was behind me. So, once he jumped, I had him.

(Photo of Ausar Thompson: Megan Briggs / Getty Images)

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