Cade Cunningham is going to the All-Star game. That is not shocking, even given that Cunningham was the No. 1 overall draft pick. But one player does not make a team, which is why the development of both Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren has been so encouraging for the Detroit Pistons.
Ausar Thompson, who has fit seamlessly on the wing for the Pistons this season is starting to flex some of the athleticism he was projected to have. Thompson has yet to play 30 minutes in a game yet his scoring is up, and his defense has improved as has what was considered to be a pre-draft weakness, improvising.
Thompson is responsible for pacing the Pistons offensive attack and his scoring has added a dimension the offense had been missing. Thompson appears ready for more minutes which is a good thing.
Jalen Duren has seen his game develop as well. Better positioning has paved the way to more rebounds. To this point, Duren has over 14 double-doubles on the season. The reason this is critical to the success of the Detroit Pistons is because one knock on Duren coming out of Memphis was he was not always heavily involved in the offensive end.
The Detroit Pistons are developing into a team that is clearly on the rise in the Eastern Conference. They currently hold the sixth playoff spot. The team did not go all in or crazy at the trade deadline and that was a wise thought process.
Fans wanted the organization to make a splash, The President of Basketball Ops, Trajan Langdon needs to see what the young core can do. Be it getting to the playoffs, just missing the postseason, or collapsing altogether. Langdon will probably make a move or two this summer after he evaluates his young core’s performance for the remainder of the season.
