The Pistons took the loss, but Ausar Thompson left Philadelphia with something more useful than a moral victory. In a close, frustrating defeat to the 76ers that dropped Detroit to 6-2, Thompson kept showing signs that his offensive game is moving in the right direction.
The most obvious marker was his aggression. Thompson finished with a season-high 10 field goal attempts, and that number matters because it reflects a shift the Pistons have been waiting to see.
He has long been a force on defense, but too often he’s passed up open chances and backed away from attacking. Against Philadelphia, he didn’t disappear into the background.
Thompson put together a full stat line in the loss: 11 points, 17 rebounds, two offensive boards, three assists, and a steal. His work on the glass kept building on the recent trend of a new career-best average in rebounds per 36 minutes in 2026-27. It also marked the third time in four games that he reached double figures in scoring.
The shot volume stood out most. Thompson has now taken at least nine field goals in three of his last five games, and in one of the other two he still got to seven attempts and five free throws. That’s not the profile of a finished product, but it is the profile of a player starting to demand touches instead of waiting for them.
His passing has also become part of the picture. Thompson’s three assists against the 76ers were his second-lowest total of the season, a reminder that Detroit is asking him to do more than just finish plays.
The process is still uneven, and there will be stretches where he barely leaves a mark on offense for an entire half. That’s part of the package right now.
Even so, the Pistons are seeing real movement. Thompson may never be the clean answer as a No. 2 scoring option, especially given the unique defensive load he carries, but he is beginning to do the one thing that changes how opponents can guard Detroit: he’s making it harder for teams to treat the Pistons like they’re playing 4-on-5 when he has the ball.
There’s still a long way to go, especially if the jumper remains a work in progress. But there are signs of progress that matter. Thompson is up to 68.4 percent from the free throw line after shooting 57.1 percent in 2025-26, and he’s hit at least 75.0 percent of his free throws in three of his four games with at least three attempts this season.
That kind of improvement won’t always jump off the page, and it won’t always make a loss feel better. But for the Pistons, Thompson’s assertiveness, efficiency, and playmaking are starting to show up more often. Even in defeat, that’s a development worth noticing.
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LeBron Is Driving A 76ers Shift Pistons Fans Just Saw Again
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Maxey has already pointed to James as a big reason for that tone, praising his leadership and willingness to pass. For Pistons fans, it is a familiar reminder of how quickly one high-profile addition can change the way a roster plays and thinks, especially when the star is willing to set the table instead of just taking over. The bigger question now is how long that balance lasts once the season gets deeper and the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]