DETROIT >> Ausar Thompson spent the entire summer listening to his brother, Amen Thompson, crack jokes about the Detroit Pistons’ abysmal season.

After finishing with a franchise-worst 14-68 record, Amen would joke that if he flipped the digits in the Pistons’ win total, it would equal the number of victories the Houston Rockets had at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Ausar was not offended by Amen’s jokes. But from the moment he met his teammates at the beginning of training camp in early October, Ausar Thompson was convinced that his second season in the league would bring more success for the Pistons. Now, as he prepares for his playoff debut, he can’t help but reflect on the season with great joy.

“I am extremely happy and grateful for this opportunity,” Thompson told The Detroit News. “This time last year I wasn’t even playing. Just to be in the position that I’m in at this moment, not just playing but playing on a playoff team that has come so far, it means everything to me.”

Since recovering from a blood clot that cut short his rookie year, Thompson has taken on a significant role in the Pistons’ revival this season. His contributions have been surprising, considering the patience it took for the second-year forward to return to form after an eight-month hiatus.

However, once he made his season debut against the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 25, Thompson started to demonstrate the two-way potential that made him a prominent first-round prospect (No. 5 overall in 2023). He finished the season averaging 10.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals across 59 games with 48 starts.

“He was able to get his confidence, similar to when we were younger,” Amen said. “He has been aggressive. I feel like his game has been so good at knowing when to attack, having that sense that no player can guard you. I feel like he had that back with him this season.”

Thompson’s play helped the Pistons ascend out of the NBA’s basement, resulting in a 44-38 record. Detroit qualified for the playoffs for the first time in six years, setting up a first-round series against the third-seeded New York Knicks.

Given their experience, the Knicks are favored to win the best-of-seven series. However, Thompson’s versatility could be a crucial X-factor in helping the Pistons’ chances of advancing to the second round.

“When you go back and watch and look at the numbers, it tells the same story (about Thompson’s impact),” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Defensively, we took a huge step, which he was a huge part of. With our pace offensively, we took a huge step, which he was a part of. He had a huge part in helping us get to where we are now.”

The defensive juggernaut

As expected, with Bickerstaff at the helm, defense played a significant role in the Pistons’ success. They finished the regular season with the league’s 10th-best defense, boasting a defensive rating of 112.5. The Pistons’ defense is a testament to the team’s early adoption of Bickerstaff’s defensive philosophies, but Thompson might have been the most essential talent to lead Detroit’s performance.

“Ausar is one of the most athletic guys in this league,” the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green said to The Detroit News. “He covers up mistakes and ground so well for a lot of different guys on the court. His tenaciousness is key to this team’s defense, and this team has a really good defense.”

Bickerstaff did not waste time incorporating Thompson’s defensive talents after he cleared the league’s fitness-to-play panel in mid-November.

As a 6-foot-7 forward with a 7-foot wingspan, Thompson not only possesses the immaculate structure of a prominent defender but also the athleticism and defensive IQ to execute his coach’s scheme.

He can defend guards and wings on the perimeter, and given the size of forwards and centers, his defensive versatility enables him to hold his own against several opposing big men.

In the first-round series against the Knicks, Bickerstaff will rely on Thompson’s defensive talents to help contain All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, who has averaged the third-highest playoff scoring average at 30.3 since 2023.

“I always want to guard the best players,” Thompson said. “I am at my best when I am playing defense. It unlocks everything else in my game.”

Thompson’s defense has led to a handful of prolific scorers having subpar shooting performances against the Pistons this season. One of his most noteworthy plays on defense came during the Pistons’ 106-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 24. Thompson’s defense was significant in Detroit, holding James Harden to 18 points on 5-of-22 shooting from the field. He also finished with four steals and a pair of blocks.

Before missing the season finale against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 13, Thompson played 44 consecutive games as a starter. The Pistons held the seventh-best defense in the league during that stretch, producing a defensive rating of 111.6 and allowing teams to score 113.2 points per game.

“It’s the intangibles that he brings every single day,” Bickerstaff said. “He just makes winning plays. But he creates chaos on the defensive end of the floor.”

A quiet offensive assassin

In an era in which a player’s offensive value is heavily judged by his ability to shoot 3-pointers, Thompson has found various ways to prove himself as one of the Pistons’ most dependable players on offense.

“Offensively, he is so versatile because he can make so many plays, not only for himself but for other people,” Bickerstaff said. “He forces defenses to make tough decisions. He has had a huge impact on what we do.”

Thompson’s athleticism and ability to create scoring opportunities in transition have contributed to Detroit finishing the regular season as the sixth-fastest team in pace at 101.01 and second in fastbreak points, averaging 19.3 since his season debut in late November.

The Pistons’ ability to turn the series into a track meet would be beneficial, given that the Knicks ended the season ranked 26th in pace (97.6) and 14th in fastbreak points (15.7).

Detroit excelled in scoring from the inside, averaging 54.2 points to rank fourth in the league. Thompson contributed with an average of 7.8 points per game, making him Detroit’s third-highest scorer in points in the paint, trailing Cade Cunningham (12.8 points) and Jalen Duren (9.6 points).

However, Thompson’s most significant contribution against the Knicks would be his ability to provide the Pistons a reliable secondary ball-handler. He has consistently demonstrated his ability to orchestrate Detroit’s offense, creating plays and scoring opportunities for his teammates on several occasions.

The best example of that came during Detroit’s 125-112 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 7. He recorded a then-season-high six assists amid the absence of Cunningham.

“I’ve had multiple moments (exploring my limits offensively),” Thompson said. “It’s all about me staying consistent and not taking games off.”

Thompson didn’t care about Amen’s jokes last summer because neither of their teams made the playoffs. After the Pistons tripled their win total from the previous year, Amen can no longer joke about Detroit’s struggles.

In year two, the twin brothers will be making their playoff debut in the same postseason, with the Rockets hosting the Warriors as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. With an eight-game difference separating Detroit and Houston in the regular season, the bragging rights will be determined by whichever team advances farther in the playoffs.

Thompson will keep a close eye on his brother throughout the playoffs. However, his primary objective is to do everything possible to help the Pistons win their first postseason series since 2008.

“All that he can say as of now is that they have a better record,” Thompson said. “But I promise you next year, it will not be like that.”