Cade Cunningham grabbed the headlines in Detroit’s 144-140 double-overtime win over the Washington Wizards, but Ausar Thompson may have been the bigger story for what it says about the Pistons right now.
Cunningham poured in a career-high 52 points to go with 11 assists and no turnovers, yet Thompson put together the kind of all-around performance that can change how a team functions. He recorded his first career triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and the numbers only tell part of it.
Thompson’s growth has been building for a while. In his fourth NBA season, he has taken on more responsibility as a rebounder and playmaker under head coach J.B.
Bickerstaff, and that expanded role was on full display Thursday. Coming into the game, he was already averaging career-best marks of 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game over his previous stretch, showing how much more he’s doing beyond his perimeter shooting.
Against Washington, Thompson was active for all 43 minutes. He was especially valuable on the offensive glass, grabbing five of his 11 rebounds there and creating extra possessions for Detroit. He also delivered one of the biggest plays of the night, setting up Duncan Robinson’s go-ahead corner three-pointer in the second overtime.
That kind of playmaking has become more central to Detroit’s offense. Bickerstaff has leaned on Thompson to help initiate the attack, which has allowed Cunningham to work more off the ball and conserve energy. On a night when Cunningham erupted for 52, that adjustment mattered.
“He does everything on the court, connects the floor offensively, rebounds the ball, defends at the highest level you can find,” Cunningham said of Thompson after the game.
“We need that all-around game from him and that’s why he did a great job helping us pull out a tough win.”
The extra responsibility has come with a slight rise in turnovers, with Thompson averaging 2.6 per game this season, but Detroit is clearly getting more out of him as a creator. His vision and versatility have given the Pistons another layer offensively, and this triple-double was the clearest sign yet.
Thompson no longer looks like just a defensive specialist. He’s becoming a player who can affect the game in nearly every area without needing the ball constantly in his hands. And for a Pistons team that just survived a pressure-packed night, that kind of development matters.
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Pistons May Have Found The Backcourt Spark They Were Missing
The Pistons have spent plenty of time searching for another backcourt piece to ease the load on Cade Cunningham, and Daniss Jenkins is making a strong case that he belongs in that conversation. Since stepping into Jaden Iveys spot, Jenkins has shown a more polished offensive game, with his shooting and playmaking both trending in the right direction as Detroit looks for more stability around its lead guard.
What makes the stretch so interesting is how quickly Jenkins has started to matter in real games, not just in theory. He has put together a run of 20-plus-point performances and given the Pistons a different kind of perimeter threat at a time when Jalen Durens injury has already forced the offense to adjust. If Jenkins keeps this up, Detroit may have found a much-needed spark in a place it has been trying to upgrade for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Daniss Jenkins Is Giving The Pistons A New Contract Dilemma
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The contract part is where things get tricky. Jenkins is only the 11th highest paid player on the roster at $4 million this season, a figure that even trails rookie Ebuka Okorie, which makes him look like one of the leagues better bargains. With restricted free agency looming after the season, the Pistons may soon have to decide how much value they place on keeping a player who has outperformed his salary and earned a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Are Surviving Jalen Durens Absence In An Unexpected Way
Jalen Durens absence has forced the Pistons to get creative in the middle, and the usual answer on the glass has not been there. With undersized centers John Collins and Paul Reed handling those minutes, Detroit has taken a hit in rebounding, but the bigger picture has stayed surprisingly steady because the rest of the lineup has adapted around the loss.
Ausar Thompson has helped cover some of that ground with strong work on the boards, while the ball has also been safer in Detroits hands. Fewer turnovers and a lineup built more around ball handling have given JB Bickerstaff a way to manage possessions better, and that has helped the Pistons keep winning even as one of their most important big men remains out. [Read more 🡒]