AusarThompson

Preseason question: Thompson makes hell for opponents with his defense, rebounding, and full-bore speed in transition. But his role on offense is an open question—a riddle just hanging in the air as the Pistons try new alignments and lineups to make ends meet. Ausar has a long way to go to prove that he can shoot, and he doesn’t really have much business initiating the offense on a team with Cade Cunningham. That leaves him with a fluid role based on ever-changing priorities. So long as Thompson can’t knock down open jumpers, he can’t reap the passive benefits of spotting up from the corners. That means that every second of every possession must be read and processed, charted on some unscripted path that only that particular moment allows. Thompson has already shown that he has the court sense to find ways to make a real impact. Now he just has to relocate them over and over, with the kind of veteran shorthand to pull off that high-wire act every night out.