Meet The NBA's Newest Lockdown Defender

Ausar Thompson's defense has been so impressive with the Pistons that you'll forget he’s just 20 years old, with virtually no NBA experience.
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[@Watermelon_Man]

As a Rockets fan, I’m devastated that his brother has been relegated to playing behind FVV and Jalen Green, two players that we over-invested in and thus have to justify that with massive minutes and touches.

[@HoopVenue]

He’ll get his chance, I wouldn’t worry too much about it this early on.

[@MikeTheNBAGuy]

I never understood why they drafted a rookie guard AND signed a veteran guard when they already had 2 young guards (one who isn't there now lmao) and no forwards to build around

[@tylerwhitney3443]

A team needed to draft BOTH

[@MrBUCHO11]

​@@MikeTheNBAGuythey had to spend money on a big contract acording to some NBA rule. Thats why they got Van Vleet.

[@MikeTheNBAGuy]

@MrBUCHO11 Yeah you're right, the fit is just so bad though I feel like they could've figured out something else. There had to be a better option than locking up FVV and Brooks to those big contracts

[@joecesh]

He is actually looking like a solid pickup for them, even though it's Wemby that they wanted. Also, Duren is proving they don't need no freak center, as they already have a young monster big man

[@aaa-rw3ne]

They still have wiseman too he doesnt fit at all tho

[@HoopVenue]

Agreed!

[@detroitlionspistonstigersr6735]

Don't act like duren and wemby wouldn't be an incredible force together..acting like we don't need him stop it ..definitely needed wemby tonight what a horrible game jesus

[@chrilpy]

Duren is the next Dwight Howard, hopefully minus the freaky shit

[@nolanrussell6326]

​@@aaa-rw3neWiseman isn't good. No defensive awareness

[@zaqsiefert5508]

The fact that he has all these highlights in only a handful of games is crazy. Future DPOY imo

[@tanked30]

He’s definitely winning a handful of DPOY

[@josephrowland2086]

I don’t remember a draft class having this many potentially great defensive players

[@astromigui]

3 blocks in his 1:30 first minutes is CRAZY

[@jackhobbs720]

that's gotta be a record or something🤣

[@HoopVenue]

Sounds like a made up stat 😂

[@989meechy]

​@HoopVenue go watch the beginning of that Heat game. Finished with 5 blocks, 3 in like his first minute or two.

[@jamesstarter]

@@HoopVenueyou can get that shit in 30 secs if mfs constantly get blocked and keep coming back. I’ve watched mutumbo do this multiple times in the 90s

[@jayanthkasarla]

@@jamesstarter dikembo 7 ft. this nigga like 6 7. also hes a permiter player

[@sosmooth13]

I knew Ausar was legit when Norman Powell had to turn into prime Kobe in order to hit his shots against him in the Rico Hines runs lol

[@DemonSlayer_ISTJ]

As a prime defender in my high school days amd a fan of old school bball I love seeing this type of grit in the new NBA. Kobe would be proud

[@bmanthe240]

As a Thunder fan, I personally don’t know if anyone has gotten that much pressure into SGA and alter his abilities. Shai Gorgeous is a top 10 player in the NBA with absurd finishing skills and wild efficiency. The fact that Ausar limited him to 2/8 while guarding him is shocking stuff. I have fallen in love with this guy, even after his world record worst air ball in NBA history yesterday. Don’t need a shot if you’re as young, confident, and valuable as Ausar is

[@lulq684]

Pawse

[@ryankayombya7576]

He's not top 10

[@kostasfrugs8007]

Damn stop glazing sai so much 😂

[@cycleoflife565]

@@ryankayombya7576Technically he is or at the minimum quite close. First team all NBA last year.

[@alexpo3010]

@@kostasfrugs8007fr shai gorgeous is crazy

[@piggybankvillan]

His energy and compete level is out of this world. So excited to have him in the roster.

[@skinneybob4984]

The piston are gonna be GOOD. And Asur is cooking in my fantasy

[@HoopVenue]

The young core is crazy.

[@theviscount4622]

Fr i feel like they could be great

[@matawantspeace]

He’s my fantasy sleeper😂 this guy is elite

[@detroitlionspistonstigersr6735]

Nobody cares about your fantasy team seriously man nobody cares

[@StrangeloveO]

I forgot which one was better and I took Amar 😭😭 worst decision of my life

[@belaalhai5026]

honestly one of the top defensive players in the nba even as a rookie. future dpoy and legendary defender calling it right now

[@81Point2]

Already one of my favorite players. It was the same was as Tyrese Haliburton, it doesn't matter how long they're in the league, you know immediately that you're riding with them no matter what

[@blAZinSports4k]

Love these Thompson Twins. Amen is probably gonna be more fun to watch, but with this kind of defense and playing time, Ausar might be the one whos more accomplished at the end. Kinda reminds me of a young (somewhat shorter) Shawn Marion

[@semajsanders7048]

They play the same, it’s just where the other got drafted, I swear they play alike

[@everythinglakers1713]

@@semajsanders7048 Amen has the better shot but they literally both play the same, have the same ELITE ELITE instincts on both sides, and are both WINNING PLAYERS! They both gonna win championships in their career forsure!

[@Jennifer-qy5dy]

Ausar is blitzering, crazy good, Amen's gonna have to reach this level of elite and top notch game playing for me to sit up and notice. I still maintain Ausar has the edge over his twin, since watching them at OTE

[@justguy9418]

the fact that there’s 3 rookies who you could argue for an all-defensive team selection this season is insane, Ausar, Chet, and Wemby have all looked elite on defense since day 1 and have real arguments to be selected for an all-defensive team.

[@collinsoladipo4949]

Bro bilal coulibaly steals and block make him one of the best defenders in the league but the offence still looking awful

[@getplayed7272]

IMO Ausar is more impressive because he doesn't have a ridiculous body like wemby and Chet. His instincts are more impressive and takes more skill instead of solely relying on genetic gifts

[@crisgee4893]

Y’all probably don’t know toumani camara from Portland but he has to be one of the best rookie defenders as well

[@Baddknewz]

@@getplayed7272its not wemby height thats impressive, its how he utilizes it. Ive never seen a human that long with that much body control and natural basketball instincts. Bro really an alien

[@450mphaintthatfast8]

@@Baddknewz He used to train as a PG when he was young

[@BiggidyB]

Most athletic player who also brings the most hustle. Love it.

[@dexterdogg]

We are ecstatic here in Detroit about this kid! You provided a great breakdown of what we have be seeing from him! An excellent passer as well, his offense will come as his shot doesn’t appear to be “broken” and since this was posted he’s up to 12.5 ppg Troy Weaver got this draft right getting Asur at 5 and Sasser at 25 wow! I think NBA scouts really don’t completely understand how to evaluate guys that play at OT Elite if the Thompson twins were at Duke or Kentucky they would have gone 2-3 in any other draft Asur could be number 1

[@nicholasaguilar7910]

Amazing work on these videos breaking down the plays in detail i love it

[@sosa8549]

I've been saying Ausar could be the next PG once he fully matures offensively. His defense is already there, and his rebounding is insane.

[@sosa8549]

He's not scared to play defense either, you see him jump with LaMelo most players would avoid getting dunked on, Ausar wants all the smoke...

[@KingInTraining]

Love how he’s getting the attention from mainstream channels, but don’t gloss over his insane rebounding skills too. Averaging 10 a game is insane and it’s not like he’s getting clear outs to push transition he’s genuinely just getting up there and pulling them down in contested situations

[@matawantspeace]

Your commentary is top tier on this man, keep up the good work. This was a great video. Ausar is my pick for ROTY fr

[@HoopVenue]

That means a lot, thank you! And great pick, lots of fun rookies to watch.

[@hmucaleb9334]

I got Vic or Chet. Ausar isn’t a bad choice

[@xaviernixon7503]

This rookie class has some surprisingly good AND intelligent defenders. Loving the future of the NBA

[@filosurfer]

Another excellent breakdown! But I was hoping you’d talk about his incredible rebounding too.

[@HoopVenue]

Thank you! Honestly a huge part of the draw in Ausar’s rebounding is how good he is on the offensive glass, and for this video I wanted to focus on defense. Maybe in the near future!

[@anthonydeshaun6326]

Future superstar! Elite defender with athleticism through the roof!

[@siyam9968]

Monster ! Work on the 3 ball and he will be a valuable asset to the league for years to come

[@M3VON]

Great breakdown! I’m glad I picked him up on fantasy. Been watching him for a bit and he’s a beast.

[@Kingbake894]

Ausar is a great player to have next to Cade because Cade won’t have to guard the other teams best player

[@HoopVenue]

Agreed… and Cade’s looked pretty great himself on the defensive end so that’s just a special pairing.

[@RonRaw]

Appreciate you showing love to the Pistons young players! Subscription well earned. Can you do a Cade breakdown next to highlight what he does well and room for improvement to get his efficiency up?

[@HoopVenue]

Definitely on the agenda, thanks!

[@waff6ix]

LOVE THE THOMPSON TWINS💯😮‍💨BOTH OF EM COLD AF

[@HoopVenue]

Facts, love their mentality as well

[@lokofra9354]

Pistons fan here, feels crazy to see us get some attention but I seen it coming when we drafted all these guys. Our spacing is absolutely atrocious with our vets out which hurts both cade/duren (Monty starting killian over ivey or burks also doesnt help). That's been an an issue though since Cade came in though and I see it as a product of the roster around the young guys rather than the young guys themselves. We're gonna pull a few more wins this year than people think just off of defense and effort especially as the season goes along. The fact that Jaden Ivey is the least impressive player out of the four main young guys says something.

[@detroitlionspistonstigersr6735]

Yeah....bruh I'd take wemby all day...lets not act like wemby and duren together wouldve been an incredible force

[@lokofra9354]

@@detroitlionspistonstigersr6735wembys the new lebron where you gotta bring him up in any basketball related discussion lmfao

[@detroitlionspistonstigersr6735]

@@lokofra9354 bruh...mybad I replied to the wrong person. Lmaooo mybad man I don't know how I did that . That was meant for the dude below you

[@detroitlionspistonstigersr6735]

But I will say I 100% agree with your comment big time..and did you just watch the game wow that was horrible and ugly man..we have zero shooters. And the unforced turnovers by cade especially my goodness. And Killian 25 mins...0 pts

[@glazzfilmz5838]

Gotta wait till bodi comes back that’s the shooting and spacing we need paired with joe Harris and burks we might have something

[@JTchills]

W video the twins quickly became two of my fav players before the draft

[@civichoodlang]

Excellent vid. New subscriber

[@HoopVenue]

Thank you!

[@bigbangbasketball]

The young core of the Pistons is giving those early 2000s Pistons vibes

[@HoopVenue]

Facts!

[@sergelaflerge1688]

Great vid HV! What’s your thoughts on otoolepm vs young cb?

[@MikeTheNBAGuy]

The Thompson Brothers are going to be the best brother-duo in nba history and it won't be super close, calling it now. Both have clear allstar futures imo

[@abhoundzo4938]

Amazing channel

[@dimitrilylesjr.07]

Amazing video

[@HoopVenue]

Thank you!

[@dimitrilylesjr.07]

​@@HoopVenue I loved the real indepth look into how his physical tools and IQ help him lock people down

[@grayhatesgrey]

this kid is already so tuff hopefully his career blossoms

[@jonathanlgill]

He legitimately looks like the next incarnation of Dennis Rodman for the Pistons.

[@HoopVenue]

Wouldn’t that be something?

[@nolanrussell6326]

Reminds me more of Pippen if anything. Has that playmaking upside too. Although, I'd say Iguodala is probably my favourite comp for him. Prime Iggy was an explosive athlete, elite defender, and great playmaker too, although Ausar is even crazier athletically

[@jonathanlgill]

@@nolanrussell6326 Yeah, a mix of young Iguoadala and Rodman sounds right. Not so sure about Pippen--he wasn't really known for rebounds.

[@theoneabovethou9601]

Next kawhi

[@ThreadStoppa]

Hope he keep it up, he's pushing my leagues over the top 😂

[@isuzzuuu931]

hopefully he and Amen can mold into a rondo type player, elite defender, great playmaker & passer, with a little scoring punch

[@commentking320]

only 4 games in his nba career is crazy tuff

[@Martyfrmprock_]

Twin is a BEAST! Definitely a steal at #5

[@petmymeat]

amazing player

[@sirsylk]

😂Man I was so pissed when Zach tried to escape dribble,and he escaped right with his ass😩🗜

[@adziuba12]

The wild part is that these are highlights from just his first 4 NBA games

[@ricerice566]

The Thompson brothers literally have the athleticism of Michael Jordan, and it shows on the defensive end.

[@HoopVenue]

Some of the best athletes I've ever seen, no doubt.

[@bigmilt16]

This 💯. He looks like a young MJ on defense. Never seen a modern NBA guard move like that.

[@WarlockEra]

Ausar is already making a name for himself. Amen needs to also make a name for himself in the league 😢

[@HoopVenue]

He'll get the opportunity soon!

[@christopheryen7993]

Might be the next Draymond Green. Amazing defense switchable 1-4. Rebounds well. Good court vision. Can't score except when he gets a dunk

[@hmucaleb9334]

Draymond isn’t a good comparison

[@simeautomatic]

Nah ausar can score. Give him time! He just showcasing his stronger side right now

[@sld1776]

Elite rebounder. Dennis Rodman is a better comparison.

[@user-jo5sm9ui5x]

he is no joke when it comes to defense i just started playing defense and its mad fun

[@NoName-tu6qi]

So basically, he is already an elite POA defender and shot blocker and above average help defender and rim protecter, and he is a couple of years of BBIQ growth away from being a perennial DPOY candidate. And even if he doesn't improve as a help defender and rim protecter, he is a league average catch and shoot 3-ball from having a 12-15 year career as a premier 3&D wing.

[@JP-jd8wr]

Gerald Wallace and Shawn Marion both come to mind for the part you said you can't remember this type of shot blocking from a wing. And definitely AK47

[@HoopVenue]

Amazing shoutouts!

[@JP-jd8wr]

​@@HoopVenueAmazing video! Keep it up man

[@jritzeku]

Very intelligent and mature defender! His solid physical attributes helps but his IQ is off the charts for a rookie. -Every step looks calculated and and he never overcommits! He moves just enough to contest a shot (instead of blocking it which can fall victim to shotfakes, while also allowing him to recover on drive ( and not completely cut it off(which is susceptible to counters)). -He also does great job of closing the gap initially because this prevents ball handler from generating forward momentum which usually results in a push off that is rarely called an offensive foul. -He plays with just the right level of physicality that cant be called a foul. -Also uses angles perfectly to make drives less effective and also allowing him to recover more efficiently.

[@Epicfuzz]

Herb Jones said hold my beer

[@ugoakusoba4094]

He's him. (even though I'ma Cavs fan. He guards 1 thrhkugh 4 witj a 7 ft. 5 wingspan. Man if he grow 2 more inches of height that would be amazing. He mught end up a top 5 nba player in 5 years. His defense is impeccable. If he gets that offense it's over.

[@stereodaking9896]

Thank you for putting me on to this guy

[@HoopVenue]

Of course, make sure to catch some Pistons games to see it yourself!

[@johnrouguine3090]

Ausar and the Pistons are such a fun team. Also, when is ur next stream and give me perms/mod

[@HoopVenue]

Idk when my next stream is, maybe next Monday

[@pastorofri2985]

Seen them as sophomores , they played d wades son and won that game you could see the potential then they were like 6’4 as sophomores man it’s crazy to see them in the league now fr

[@hubertsumlin9697]

Insane Defensive instincts and IQ

[@feifeihydro6282]

His twin brother Amen blocked Durant, BoBo and Booker last night. These twins are no joke. Imagine facing a 6'7“ athletic Gary Payton with 7' wingspan.

[@dariusdem6537]

This draft class was full of elite defenders! Kid is special.

[@de1738]

Sooo good🎉

[@ballatam7]

He’s a lock on parlays for “points + rebounds”

[@TheLastIrritant]

Got urself a follower

[@HoopVenue]

Thank you!

[@ThatLampTho]

Pretty sure the only reason why he only had 7 rebounds that one game was cause he got 5 blocks. Nothing to rebound if the ball doesn't even get to the rim 😆 All these lock-down defenders showing up is gonna make this season really good

[@HoopVenue]

For real! Shaping up to be an amazing year of NBA basketball.

[@nicholaslu4069]

Securing the ball after a block counts as a rebound too. That said, Ausar was just everywhere there his blocks turned into possessions for his teammates.

[@3tmonde242]

Trio Cade Ausar Duren 🔥❤️

[@HoopVenue]

Absolutely love those 3, special future in Detroit!

[@caseywagner9042]

That clip at 8:00 is unbelievable

[@old-red]

Thompson is balling. He’s gonna be a superstar

[@PhuongNguyen-oc1lw]

Once he learns the art of flopping, he's on another level.

[@ugoakusoba4094]

Detroit is a combo guard and a powerforwsrd away from a top 4 eastern conference team. Need to get a Pure shooter like Duncan robinson and trade Ivey for something Nice

[@KyronMaxille14]

Future DPOY 2 years from now

[@travis618]

have watched all pistons games so far... hes amazing. first thing he did in the first game was block jimmy butler lmao

[@photoshootdollas7081]

He had 4 steals 4 blks today to go with 14,9,4 and 2/3 from 3 🔥🔥

[@HoopVenue]

5x5 watch!

[@BenjaminGallagherAgent]

Reminds me of rookie Dwane Wade

[@bmanthe240]

Yeah Ausar is actually so much better than I think anyone expected. I am SOOO HAPPY that the Pistons landed Monty Williams because if Dwayne Casey was still the coach we wouldn’t be happily celebrating this kid’s greatness for another 3 years. (Dwayne is a great person no doubt but he was not a good coach, at least in his Detroit tenure, he really tried his best to hinder duren’s development last year too)

[@mrsix344]

Thanks to Aaron heroics last season, we need defensive emphasis again in these young players to make nba competitive again.defence is the best equalizer against todays NBA of superstars team formations.

[@YrnJacob]

When I see Thompson twins play it looks like they have 5+ years of experience in the league already

[@vividswarms8575]

Bro haven’t failed my parlay yet he’s like that

[@nighthiker]

I think you misspelled "Peyton Watson"... 😉 Now, seriously, their stat profiles are a bit different but pretty equivalent as far as impact goes, I'd say. In a sense, Watson's contribution might be even more surprising considering he's playing from the bench for the title favorites, so the room for error is much lower. Using by 36 numbers, Watson right now is better at scoring and steals, worse on playmaking and rebounds, while about the same on blocks. They both have about the same size and length as well. I think if one's gonna keep an eye on Thompson, they should keep an eye on Watson as well, and vice-versa... Cheers!

[@HoopVenue]

Definitely have my eye on Watson, will say that to your point on him contributing on a higher-level team, that also means he’s not overtasked in any way. I’m sure Ausar’s offense would look significantly more efficient cutting off of Jokic.

[@nighthiker]

@@HoopVenue Yep, you're right on the overtasking, though not commiting mistakes is a hard ask for such young fellows as well. Separate faces of the same coin, I guess - Watson doesn't need to do as much, but can't be mistake prone on those things he's tasked to do. Yeah, regarding Jokic, that would probably be true of pretty much anyone - but it's not all cutting, he's shooting alright so far and have played as much without Jokic as with him - in any case, as Booth said himself, he's not expected to contribute much on offense this season, so anything aside from the activity on the defensive side is a bonus, really. You didn't make the video on Thompson to rave about his offensive contributions either - I mentioned both guys' offensive numbers because Thompson's passing actually surprised me. 🙂 In any case, didn't mean to take anything away from Thompson or your video - just complement it with another guy that might be worth a mention, considering he was the 30th pick compared to Thompson's 5th. Cheers!

[@DetroitEast]

The next Scottie pipen

[@Lakers-vs-Celtics]

This guy is the real deal. I cant decide who I like better; him or his brother. They are identical twins and they are really goons if on the same team.

[@abran-el]

Hes realy good

[@ugoakusoba4094]

Already first team all defensive wing defender

[@Logikal_GreenHouseMuzic]

This man is a young Ron Artest

[@ninocrown3247]

He’s taking the Dennis Rodman angle. Focusing on strictly defense and rebounder and mastering it, made him a HOFer. While dudes who just focus on their bag, struggle to say in the NBA.

[@justguy9418]

gonna be the best shot blocking wing since andrei kirilenko

[@abdulnafiabdullah1772]

I like this kind of players.. since Ima Kawhi fan..

[@tomretondo4321]

bring back badboys (defence 1st) mentality in Detroit in order to be back on its glory days

[@heemsdreams4810]

Reminds me a lot of Lonzo ball

[@HoopVenue]

Need Lonzo healthy.

[@hoopzda4087]

Can we do a Dereck lively II one

[@morganendicott1239]

What happened to your twitter?

[@Davivd2]

The Thompson twins should have been the second and third picks in the draft. IDK why people are so high on Scoot Henderson. These guys have so much more skill, more size, and they are still athletic, which was what Scoot was drafted so high for. It's going to be interesting to look back on this draft class in 5 years.

[@UnoDinero95001]

Typical W vid

[@HoopVenue]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@arlic4969]

hes like a human rober band or spring

[@evanh1205]

And rob droped 40 on him just months ago. OTE talent is no joke Rob has been great off the bench at UK

[@brendonjohnson1031]

dude moves like an nfl corner

[@trickyeahtricktyt]

I almost forgot Detroit had a basketball team!

[@JohnRobertPotter]

1:55 he was holding

[@UnlikelyMJ]

I just learned a move or two on the defense

[@kaikwon1604]

Been guarding Amen every moment, he's nice alright. (Just develop your 3 goddamn)

[@joeljoseph6362]

That’s me. I’m a lockdown defender