It was by no means a secret. Since the start of the summer, it has been clear that the Detroit Pistons wanted a player who could lift Cade Cunningham’s responsibility for bringing up the ball and creating plays. Well, with no signing yet completed — Kyrie Irving had been mentioned — the designated man for that task is Ausar Thompson.
Exactly. From the moment the team opened its preseason, we’ve already seen the young wing take on a far more substantial offensive role. After recently agreeing to a five-year, $155 million extension, the Pistons want Thompson to gain more weight in the lineup, and they’ve handed him the ball to accomplish that.
During the first half of the preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, which they won 109-107, he shared the duty of initiating plays with Cunningham. In the second half, with the All-Star on the bench, he outright assumed the point guard role.
That step represents one more milestone in the development of a kid whom Detroit already views as a complete player capable of influencing the game at all times. In that encounter, and although it was a preseason game and caution is warranted, he finished with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting (several from mid-range), in addition to 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. His evolution largely dictates the Pistons’ present and future.
