Ausar Thompson had quite a unique showing on Saturday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Detroit Pistons’ former first-rounder impacted the game the game in many ways.

While Thompson hasn’t been a full-time starter for the Pistons this season after garnering 38 starts in 63 games during his rookie campaign, he was back in the starting lineup on Saturday, as the Pistons search for the ideal starting five in the absence of Jaden Ivey.

With 25 minutes of playing time, Thompson managed to do a little bit of everything.

From the field, Thompson made all five of his shots. Being perfect from the field, he scored ten points. The sophomore racked up a double-double, as he came down with ten rebounds. Most of his rebounding production came on the defensive end of the floor.

Thompson’s most impressive stat, by far, was his ability to snatch six steals. He nearly surpassed the Timberwolves’ entire team in total steals, as Minnesota came away with seven overall.

According to Statmuse, Thompson’s statline was one of one. With ten points, ten rebounds, six steals, and a perfect field goal percentage, Thompson was the first player in NBA history to have that line or better.

Heading into Saturday night’s game, the 22-year-old had just 14 games under his belt this season. He was seeing the court for an average of 18 minutes per game. Despite seeing his playing time nearly cut in half, Thompson is still hovering around last year’s averages, posting seven points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal per game.

This season has been an uphill battle for Thompson. After his rookie effort was cut short due to blood clots, Thompson spent several weeks on the bench for the start of the 2024-2025 NBA season. By the 19th outing on November 25, Thompson made his debut. Since then, he’s appeared in all but two of the Pistons’ last 15 games.

Cade Cunningham’s Praise for Thompson

Ausar Thompson was drafted to the Detroit Pistons to become a staple of the franchise’s future, playing alongside the veteran star, Cade Cunningham.

It’s safe to say that Cunningham has enjoyed everything Thompson has brought to the floor when healthy so far.

With Thompson’s athleticism being off the charts, Cunningham has found out he could get Thompson involved in ways that maybe nobody else on the team can.

The Thompson-Cunningham duo put together a viral sequence in Saturday’s game between the Pistons and the Timberwolves. While Thompson’s basket, which was assisted by Cunningham, did not count, NBA fans all over were impressed with Thompson’s show of athleticism.

Cunningham sees it all the time and witnessed it plenty over the past year. Yet, he’s still amazed.

“There’s some people that might be able to jump like him—not like him, but can jump high—he’s just athletic like all around,” Cunningham told reporters after Saturday’s win. “Laterally, running, he’s a different dude. He’s not like us, for sure. It’s fun to play with a guy like that, for sure.

Thompson might not be the high-volume, three-point scoring wing the Pistons searched all offseason for to surround Cunningham with, but he makes up for his lack of efficiency in the three-point department with his defensive value and ability to find tough ways to score.

The Pistons are still seeing just how much they can unlock Thompson’s game, but Cunningham and the team remain impressed with what he’s brought to the table in 78 games over the past year.