Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Another solid outing in win
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Thompson contributed 11 points (4-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and two steals across 26 minutes during Monday's 124-119 win over the Knicks.
Since shifting to Detroit's starting lineup Jan. 4 due to Jaden Ivey's potentially season-ending lower leg injury, Thompson has strung together several solid performances for the Pistons. Over his past four games, the versatile 21-year-old has averaged 9.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.3 assists and 0.8 threes in 21.9 minutes. The team appears to still be in the process of ramping up Thompson's workload after he missed the start of the season with blood clots, but the forward is becoming a strong source of steals for fantasy managers.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Good to go Thursday
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Thompson (illness) is available and starting in Thursday's game against Golden State.
Thompson will give it a go Thursday, snapping a two-game absence streak due to an illness. The second-year forward will re-enter the starting five for Tim Hardaway (back) in his return, and over his last 10 outings (three starts), Thompson has averaged 8.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 assists across 19.7 minutes per contest.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Expected to play Thursday
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Thompson (illness) is listed as probable for Thursday's game versus the Warriors.
Thompson is expected to return to action Thursday after missing Detroit's previous two outings due to an illness. Thompson's potential return could send Malik Beasley back to the bench.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Out again Wednesday
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Thompson (illness) will not play in Wednesday's matchup against Brooklyn.
This will be Thompson's second consecutive absence due to illness. Prior to sustaining his illness, Thompson averaged 8.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.1 blocks across 19.7 minutes in his last 10 games. While he recovers, expect Ron Holland and Wendell Moore to see extended playing time until he returns.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Won't play Monday
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Thompson (illness) will not play Monday against Portland.
After posting a double-double with 10 points (5-5 FG), 10 rebounds, two assists and six steals in 26 minutes during Saturday's 119-105 win over Minnesota, Thompson was a late addition to the injury report Monday morning and will be held out. With Thompson out of the picture, guys like Ron Holland and Simone Fontecchio could step into larger roles for the Pistons, who recently lost Jaden Ivey (lower leg) for the season.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Ties career high with five steals
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Thompson finished Wednesday's 105-96 win over the Magic with six points (3-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 0-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and five steals across 25 minutes.
Thompson continues to prove that he is one of the NBA's best perimeter defenders, averaging 1.2 steals in 18.0 minutes per contest. The 21-year-old forward could also begin to receive increased playing time with Jaden Ivey (leg) sidelined for a significant period.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Slides to bench
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Thompson won't start Saturday's game against the Suns.
Thompson made back-to-back starts while the Pistons dealt with injuries, but now that the team's preferred lineup is healthy, Thompson will rejoin the reserves. In eight appearances, Thompson is averaging 7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 17.0 minutes.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Best outing of year as starter
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Thompson posted 19 points (8-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-4 FT), nine rebounds, one assist, one block and four steals in 27 minutes during Monday's 125-124 overtime victory over Miami.
Thompson got the starting nod Monday due to Tobias Harris (hand) being out, concluding his second start of the year one rebound shy of a double-double while coming up one point short of the 20-point mark. Thompson set new season-high totals in scoring and rebounds after entering Monday yet to record more than nine points in six outings.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Questionable to play Saturday
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Thompson (groin) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against New York.
Thompson was sidelined for Wednesday's game against the Celtics due to an illness. He doesn't appear to be under the weather anymore, but he is iffy to play Saturday due to left adductor soreness. If Thompson is unable to play, Ron Holland and Simone Fontecchio would likely see an uptick in playing time off the bench.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Moving back to bench
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Thompson is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Pacers.
Thompson will move back to the bench due to the return of Tobias Harris (back) to the starting unit. Thompson has averaged 4.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in two appearances this season.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Making first start of season
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Thompson will start Wednesday's game against Memphis, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports.
With Cade Cunningham (hip) and Tobias Harris (hip) sidelined, Thompson will make his first start of the season. The second-year wing made his season debut Monday, posting five points (2-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt), four assists and three rebounds in 16 minutes. Thompson will presumably still face a minutes restriction despite starting.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Available to make season debut
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Thompson (illness) is available to make his season debut in Saturday's game against the Magic.
Thompson will finally make his season debut Saturday, and his return to the rotation should boost the Pistons' second-unit depth enormously. He averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game as a rookie, and he should see minutes right away for a rebuilding Pistons team that can certainly use his versatility on both ends of the court.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Recalled to NBA
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Detroit recalled Thompson (conditioning) from the G League's Motor City Cruise on Tuesday.
Thompson joined the Cruise on Tuesday to get in some practice work, and he's now back with the Pistons ahead of Thursday's game against the Hornets. The second-year forward has been cleared to play by the NBA's Fitness-To-Play panel, but it's unclear when he'll be ready to make his season debut. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Wednesday that the team doesn't want to play Thompson in a game until he's completely comfortable. The second-year wing hasn't been playing 5-on-5 and has been limited in his workouts since March, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Joins G League team for practice
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The Pistons assigned Thompson (conditioning) to the G League's Motor City Cruise on Tuesday.
Thompson has yet to make his season debut after being sidelined due to a blood clot issue, but after recently gaining clearance from the NBA's Fitness-To-Play panel, the second-year forward is beginning to ramp back up. He'll likely participate in practice with Motor City on Tuesday before rejoining the NBA club ahead of Thursday's game at Charlotte.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Still out Friday
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Thompson (conditioning) won't play in Friday's game versus the Raptors.
Despite being cleared to play by the NBA's Fitness-To-Play panel, Thomson will miss his 14th straight game to begin the 2024-25 campaign. However, Thompson's return to action should be soon as he ramps up his conditioning. His next chance to suit up is Sunday's matchup with Washington.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Working on his conditioning
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Thompson (illness) was cleared to play by the NBA's Fitness-To-Play panel Monday, but he'll remain out for Tuesday's game against the Heat due to conditioning purposes.
Coach JB Bickerstaff said Monday that Thompson hasn't been able to scrimmage 5-on-5 yet, so the second-year wing will likely need a week or two to get his feet under him before he's ready for game action. However, Bickerstaff applauded Thompson's work ethic and skill set, saying Thompson fits perfectly into what the Pistons are trying to do this season. When available to play, Thompson should handle a sizable role in the rotation but will likely have to come off the bench.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Remains out indefinitely
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Thompson (illness/conditioning) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Lakers.
The second-year wing's rookie season was cut short due to blood clots, and while there is optimism he'll suit up this year, it's unclear when that'll be. He has been limited to conditioning and individual drills at recent practices and is cleared to travel with the team -- encouraging steps. However, Thompson remains out indefinitely until he's given medical clearance by the NBA Players' Association.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Another absence coming
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Thompson (illness) won't play in Friday's game versus the Knicks.
Thompson has yet to suit up this season while returning to competition condition after dealing with blood clots. The second-year forward will need to be medically cleared before ultimately suiting up.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Out again Wednesday
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Thompson (illness) did not play during Wednesday's 108-92 preseason victory over Cleveland.
Thompson still needs medical clearance from a blood clotting issue, and missing the entirety of preseason casts an ominous light on his upcoming second season. The 21-year-old last addressed the situation at Media Day on Sept. 30, stating that there was "no timeline right now," with the matter fully in the hands of the league and NBA Players Association, per Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press. Thompson appears to be out indefinitely until further updates emerge.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Remains out
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Thompson (illness) has yet to be cleared by the NBA and won't play in Tuesday's preseason contest against the Suns, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Thomson continues to recover from treatment for a blood clot and has been limited in training camp. While Thompson's next chance to suit up is Friday's preseason rematch with Phoenix, he will need to be medically cleared before taking the floor.
