Zach Lowe picks his most intriguing player heading into next season: "He's going to be really, really good, really, really soon"

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5 days ago

Zach Lowe picks his most intriguing player heading into next season: "He's going to be really, really good, really, really soon" originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Back in his days as an NBA writer, Zach Lowe used to highlight the most intriguing players — no rookies or sophomores allowed — before each season. This segment was recently revived in podcast form.
Joined by journalist Howard Beck, both the guest and the host named six players who fit the criteria. Leading Lowe's list was Ausar Thompson, soon entering his third season in the league.
Playoff debut against the Knicks
Thompson, the Detroit Pistons' fifth overall pick in 2023, got his first real taste of playoff basketball last season — an invaluable experience for any player.
Growth only comes from being exposed to high-pressure moments, which Detroit faced plenty of against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference First Round.
Although the team from "Motor City" fell in six games, Lowe believes Thompson and the team benefited from the "physicality and intensity" of that series.
Playing over 22 minutes per game against the Knicks, Ausar made a noticeable impact, especially with his ability to grab boards.
"He's an insane offensive rebounder," Zach said. "In the playoffs, he averaged nearly one and a half free throws per 36 minutes."
The stats back it up: the Pistons' young forward, blessed with a seven-foot wingspan, grabbed three offensive rebounds in both Game 2 and Game 6.
Lowe also called the former Pine Crest high school player "an absolute force of nature attacking the rim."
While his scoring numbers don't fully reflect his impact — Thompson averaged just 11.5 points against New York and can sometimes struggle offensively — it's encouraging to see him play fearlessly, something that has held many players — former All-Star Ben Simmons being one example — back.Thompson is set to break out
What sets Ausar apart isn't just his rebounding or aggression at the rim. Zach also highlighted his skill as a "great cutter," a perfect fit for Detroit's offense.
Lowe explains that when point guard Cade Cunningham draws double teams, he can quickly swing the ball to center Jalen Duren, whose passing vision creates scoring chances by hitting Thompson on his cuts to the basket.
The 48-year-old added that even when Cunningham initiates the offense, Thompson's screens create space and mismatches, using his physicality to battle bigger forwards while still having the edge on most guards.
Even if defenders then sag off Thompson because of his dismal three-point shooting — he's not even hitting 20 percent from deep — Lowe says Detroit can still weaponize him through handoffs to shooters coming off screens, like Duncan Robinson.
Ultimately, Lowe called Thompson "an incredibly exciting player," noting that his defense is already his biggest strength — and still getting better.
"He's just going to be a monster on defense across every position," said the veteran NBA analyst, who believes the sky's the limit for Ausar.
"With a season under his belt, a playoff run under his belt — I'm not saying All-Star or anything, that's still a ways off considering he's mostly a garbage man on offense — but he's going to be really, really good, really, really soon," Lowe remarked.
Pistons fans will start finding out how soon that prediction plays out — or doesn't — on October 21, 2025, which is opening night of the new NBA season.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.