Ausar Thompson’s jumper is becoming a bigger part of the Pistons’ plan, and that starts with confidence.
At media day, Thompson made it clear he understands the assignment: be more aggressive, take the outside shots, and keep trusting the work even when the ball doesn’t fall. His most telling line came when he said, “There’s days where I may miss but the biggest thing is when I miss, it’s the mindset you go into the next shot with.”
That mindset matters for a Pistons team that may need Thompson to stretch the floor if they keep moving forward without a floor-spacing center. If he can become a reliable outside threat, it changes the way the offense can function and gives Detroit a chance to look more like a modern attack while still leaning on the things it already does well.
The shooting numbers from last season show how much work is still ahead. Thompson took just 24 threes and hit 6 of them, which leaves a long road between where he is now and where defenses have to treat him like a real perimeter threat. That kind of leap does not happen overnight, and the early part of the process is going to come with misses.
That is why the Pistons should be encouraged by the fact that Thompson is already talking like someone ready to keep firing. In the past, he has been too reluctant to shoot to really build a rhythm or give anyone a clean read on his development. Even if the results are uneven at first, the willingness to keep taking those shots is the important shift.
There is also a practical side to all of this. More shooting could make Thompson’s offensive growth easier to sustain without draining him. Players in his spot can wear down on defense when their offensive role expands, but taking open jumpers is a less taxing way to add value than forcing drives into a set defense.
That matters because Thompson’s energy on the other end is part of what makes him valuable. If he can get to his offense by simply rising up for open looks, he can save his legs for defense and stay fresher deeper into games.
So the next step is clear: more aggression now, better efficiency later. Thompson’s confidence in his jumper is the first piece, and if he keeps leaning into it, the Pistons can start turning a weakness into something much more useful. The challenge is staying with it when the misses show up in actual games.
In Other News...
Pistons Need This Jalen Duren Standoff Settled Before It Gets Messy
Jalen Durens contract situation has become one of the quiet issues hanging over Detroit as the regular season draws closer. The Pistons have been trying to work through a new deal with the young center, and the uncertainty has already reached the point where the front office would rather have this settled than let it linger into training camp and the early part of the schedule.
Detroit has made at least one concession in the latest version of its offer, which suggests both sides are still trying to find common ground. Even so, the clock is the problem now, and the longer this stretches on, the more it risks becoming a distraction for a team that would much prefer the focus stay on basketball rather than contract talk. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Offense Is Changing In A Way Fans Have Wanted
J.B. Bickerstaff spent part of the offseason talking about the direction of the Pistons offense, and the message was pretty clear: Detroit wants to be more versatile and put more pressure on defenses from the perimeter. The coach said the changes were made with an eye toward adding more three-point shooting and creating a lineup that is harder to guard, a shift that should feel familiar to fans who have long wanted a more modern, spacing-friendly attack.
The personnel moves are only part of it. Bickerstaff also pointed to internal growth as a major piece of the puzzle, expecting Cade Cunningham to keep expanding his role as a leader while Ron Holland continues sharpening the parts of his game that matter most in this system. If those steps come together alongside the new additions, Detroit could look less predictable and a lot more difficult to defend when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]