Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Closes with disappointing effort
Rotowire
Thompson contributed five points (2-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 0-2 FT), seven rebounds and two blocks over 29 minutes during Sunday's 125-94 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Thompson failed to have much of an impact in the Game 7 loss, bringing to an end what was a dominant defensive performance throughout the majority of the playoffs. In 14 appearances, he averaged 3.8 combined steals and blocks, underscoring his impact on that end of the floor. However, the fact that he is a liability on the offensive end cannot be overlooked. During that 14-game span, he averaged just 8.2 points in 30.5 minutes per contest. For him to become a more well-rounded asset, Thompson will need to boost his offensive production consistently.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Logs four steals in Game 6 win
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Thompson racked up 10 points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), nine rebounds, four assists, one block and four steals across 24 minutes before fouling out of Friday's 115-94 victory over Cleveland in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Thompson managed to reach double-digit points for the first time since Game 2 on May 7, but he made most of his presence felt on the defensive end of the floor. It was the third time this postseason that he logged at least four steals, and he has done so in each of his last two games. The Pistons will need Thompson's defensive prowess for Game 7 on Sunday.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Limited impact in loss
Rotowire
Thompson contributed four points (2-3 FG), four rebounds, one assist and one steal across 19 minutes during Monday's 112-103 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Thompson had a muted performance on the offensive end and didn't offer much defensively in his limited minutes. The third-year forward logged fewer than 24 minutes for the first time this postseason and finished with a game-worst minus-27 point differential. He'll look to bounce back during Wednesday's Game 5 in Detroit.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Impactful in Game 1 win
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Thompson contributed 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal in 33 minutes during Tuesday's 111-101 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Thompson continues to see big minutes on a nightly basis, having logged at least 33 in five of the past six games. Although his regular-season role was frustrating for fantasy managers, it appears that J.B. Bickerstaff has figured out just what Thompson means to this team. Over eight playoff appearances, he has recorded 34 combined steals and blocks and averaged 8.5 rebounds a night.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Grabs 15 boards, adds five steals
Rotowire
Thompson posted six points (3-5 FG, 0-2 FT), 15 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and five steals over 36 minutes during Wednesday's 116-109 win over the Magic in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Thompson was a beast on the glass, pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds while adding seven combined steals and blocks. Despite inconsistent production on the offensive end, Thompson has delivered elsewhere, averaging 9.4 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.4 blocks through the first five games of the series. The Pistons now trail 3-2 and will head to Orlando in hopes of forcing a Game 7.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Huge effort on defense in Game 3
Rotowire
Thompson ended with 17 points (7-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-5 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, five blocks and two steals over 37 minutes during Saturday's 113-105 loss to the Magic in Game 3 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The seven combined blocks and steals represented his best total since March 20, when the third-year forward racked up seven steals and a block in a win over the Warriors. The 17 points were also Thompson's best performance on offense in the series so far, and he's averaging 12.0 points, 7.7 boards, 2.3 steals, 2.0 blocks and 1.7 assists in 30.0 minutes heading into Game 4 on Monday.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Notches 11 points in win
Rotowire
Thompson amassed 11 points (5-9 FG, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals in 28 minutes during Wednesday's 98-83 win over the Magic in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Thompson had his fingerprints all over this game as the Pistons leveled the series at one win apiece. Over his first two postseason appearances, he's averaging 9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.5 steals in 26.5 minutes per contest.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Will play Monday
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Thompson (ankle) is available for Monday's game against the Thunder.
Thompson will shake off his questionable tag for the front end of this back-to-back set. With that in mind, he could be a candidate for a maintenance day Tuesday against the Raptors.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Spotted at shootaround
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Thompson (ankle) was present at Monday's shootaround, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Thompson remains questionable on the official injury report, but his presence at shootaround is a good sign for his status. If he's ultimately held out, the Pistons could lean more on Javonte Green, Ronald Holland and Kevin Huerter.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Officially in
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Thompson (ankle) is available for Saturday's game against Minnesota.
Thompson was bumped up to probable Saturday morning, and the 22-year-old has finally gotten the green light to play. In his last five appearances, Thompson is averaging 10.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.2 steals and 1.4 blocks across 29.8 minutes.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Likely to play Saturday
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Thompson (ankle) is now listed as probable for Saturday's game against the Timberwolves.
Thompson was initially listed as questionable due to right ankle injury management, but the third-year pro is trending toward being available for Saturday's contest. He missed five games earlier this month due to his ankle issue, and in his seven outings since returning March 15, he has averaged 9.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks over 28.6 minutes per game.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Questionable for Saturday
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Thompson (ankle) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Timberwolves.
Thompson is questionable due to right ankle injury management after missing five straight games earlier this month due to a right ankle sprain. If the third-year forward is ultimately ruled out, Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green would be candidates to see increased playing time.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Available to play
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Thompson (ankle) is available for Thursday's meeting with the Pelicans.
Thompson is good to go for the second leg of a back-to-back set, so make sure you've got him active. The 23-year-old swingman has racked up 12 steals over his past three games.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Won't play Friday
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Thompson (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's game against Memphis.
Thompson will miss a fifth consecutive contest due to a sprained right ankle, and his next opportunity to suit up will come Sunday in Toronto. With the 23-year-old forward sidelined, Ronald Holland, Marcus Sasser and Kevin Huerter are candidates to see increased minutes.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Likely to miss time, but day-to-day
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Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Saturday that Thompson is considered "day-to-day" while he recovers from a right ankle sprain, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reports.
Thompson sprained the ankle during the first quarter of the Pistons' 121-106 loss to the Spurs on Thursday. He's since been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Nets, and with Bickerstaff noting that it's "going to be a minute" before Thompson plays again, the third-year forward looks safe to rule out through Sunday's road game against Miami. Kevin Huerter, Caris LeVert and Javonte Green are all candidates to enter the Pistons' starting lineup in Thompson's stead beginning with Saturday's game.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Ruled out for Saturday
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Thompson (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Nets.
Thompson logged just two minutes before exiting Thursday's loss to the Spurs due to a sprained right ankle, and he'll be held out of the front end of this back-to-back set. With the third-year forward sidelined, Javonte Green, Kevin Huerter and Caris LeVert are candidates to see an uptick in minutes.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Questionable to return
Rotowire
Thompson is questionable to return to Thursday's game against San Antonio due to a right ankle sprain, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reports.
Thompson left the game early in the first quarter after picking up an ankle injury. Javonte Green, Ronald Holland and Kevin Huerter could all gets more looks if Thompson is unable to return.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Leaves for locker room
Rotowire
Thompson went to the locker room during the first quarter of Thursday's game against the Spurs with an apparent right ankle injury, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reports.
Thompson appeared to twist his right ankle on a drive to the basket and was down in pain for a few minutes before hobbling to the locker room. Ronald Holland checked into the game to replace the injured Thompson, who can be considered questionable to return until the team has an update to share.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Muted effort in loss
Rotowire
Thompson provided eight points (4-6 FG), four rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes during Monday's 114-103 loss to San Antonio.
This performance wasn't up to Thompson's usual standards, and his minutes took a hit as a result. Thompson had cleared 30 minutes in his previous two outings, so fantasy managers will be hoping this is just a bump in the road.
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Pistons' Ausar Thompson: Contributes across the board
Rotowire
Thompson closed with four points (2-3 FG), four rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 24 minutes during Wednesday's 113-95 victory over the Raptors.
While Wednesday's effort was relatively muted, Thompson has bounced back nicely overall from a shaky start to the season. The versatile forward has averaged 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 steals in 25.1 minutes per contest in his last 12 games, shooting 52.4 percent from the floor. That said, Thompson's subpar foul shooting and lack of outside scoring could continue to limit his minutes to the 20s.
