The Detroit Pistons selected the best player available in the previous NBA Draft.
They didn’t consider the fit in relation to their current roster, which is something teams frequently do when the available player is simply too good to pass up.
So far, Ausar Thompson appears to be proving them right for taking that approach, as he’s been an elite contributor to their team.
Thompson and Rudy Gobert are the only two players this season with at least 50 offensive rebounds and 25 blocks, according to StatMuse.
When you consider that he’s a 6-foot-7 rookie, that’s quite impressive.
Thompson takes a beating every night, putting his body on the line and snatching rebounds from the hands of some of the league’s most physical big men.
He’s been a standout help defender, racking up chase-down blocks and dominating by forcing opponents to the baseline and forcing live-ball turnovers.
After selecting Cade Cunningham and Javey in the previous two drafts, few teams would have selected a combo guard.
But Thompson has shown that he can play small forward and use his length, strength, and athleticism to guard one through five on any given night, filling up the stat sheet.
Of course, for the struggling Pistons, that hasn’t translated into much success, but Monty Williams has a promising team on his hands, and they’re just another piece away from building something special in this league.
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