Pistons grab Ausar Thompson with No. 5 pick in NBA draft

With the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons have selected guard Ausar Thompson of the Overtime Elite league.

Thompson, along with his twin brother Amen, played on the City Reapers squad in the Overtime Elite for the last two seasons. Each twin were looking to be the first player from the newly established league to be drafted into the NBA. Thompson, 20, won MVP and is a two-time champion and Finals MVP.

Amen was chosen with the fourth overall selection by the Houston Rockets.

Despite questions about OTE's viability and level of competition, Thompson showed the valuable skills that made him a touted lottery selection. An athletic guard with a large wingspan, he recorded 2.7 steals per game while defending ball-handlers with swift footwork. He also showed a knack for finishing through contact in transition.

Bio

Position: Guard
Club: City Reapers (OTE)
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 218 lbs
Wingspan: 7-foot
Max vertical: N/A

2022-23 stats with City Reapers (Overtime Elite)

Strengths

• An impactful scorer off of drives and cuts to the basket. Thrives in transition against players that give him space to move. Athletic and can throw down powerful hammers.
• Can see over the defense and deliver quick, precise passes.
• A versatile defender that wreaks havoc. Attacks ball-handlers and stays on them. Has a keen sense of when to jump into passing lanes.

Weaknesses

• Struggled shooting from deep in the regular season, although he improved in the playoffs.
• Questions remain about how his game will translate from the transition-dependant OTE to the NBA.
• Can have tunnel vision while driving to the rim; lacks a secondary move.

NBA comparable: Leaner Andre Iguodala. Thompson shares some of the same tendencies that have made Iguodala, a 19-year veteran, successful in the Association. A plug-and-play type, Thompson can slot into the wing position with his size and defense while still providing positional flexibility as a ball-handler. Iguodala also had a well-known tendency to detonate for nasty transition jams, just like Thompson.