Ausar Thompson Is Detroit’s Modern Rodman — And It’s Not Even Close

Forget the scoring concerns. Ausar Thompson just went out and grabbed 15 rebounds in a must-win playoff game while Jalen Duren couldn’t find the ball. The Dennis Rodman comparisons are flying, and honestly? They’re not crazy. If you redrafted the 2023 class knowing what everyone became, Ausar goes top-two. Period.

15 Rebounds, Six Points, Zero Apologies

Ausar Thompson put up six points in Game 5. That’s it. And yet he might have been the most impactful Piston on the floor.

While Jalen Duren continues to struggle on the glass — a problem that’s becoming impossible to ignore — Ausar went out and ripped down 15 rebounds. Fifteen. From the wing position. That’s not normal. That’s not even supposed to happen in the modern NBA.

People love to trash Ausar because he can’t shoot. His jumper isn’t there. It might never get there. But here’s the thing: not everybody needs to score. Everybody needs to contribute. And Ausar Thompson contributes in ways that don’t show up in the points column.

The Rodman Comp Is Actually Valid

Dennis Rodman couldn’t score either. You weren’t running plays for the Worm. He was getting maybe four or five field goal attempts a game, and that was fine because everything else he did was elite.

Ausar’s the same way. You’re not featuring him in the offense. You’re not designing sets for him. But if he’s giving you 15 boards, lockdown defense, and energy that shifts momentum? That’s the Rodman archetype updated for 2026.

Now, is Ausar literally Dennis Rodman? Come on. Rodman’s a Hall of Famer, arguably the greatest rebounder to ever play, and one of the best defenders in Pistons history. The energy Rodman brought was 24/7 — that man lived different. Ausar’s more selective with his intensity.

But here’s what matters: if Ausar Thompson played in the Bad Boys era, he’d be one of the best players in the league. His ball-handling in transition is better than Rodman’s ever was. The defensive instincts are there. The athleticism is freakish. In a slower, more physical era? Ausar dominates.

Second-Most Valuable Piston. Yes, Really.

This might sound insane, but think about it: who’s more valuable to Detroit than Ausar Thompson right now?

Cade Cunningham, obviously. That’s not a debate. But after Cade? Ausar’s defensive versatility and rebounding make him irreplaceable. You can find scorers. You can’t find 6’7″ wings who guard the best player on the other team and grab 15 boards in an elimination game.

If you dropped Ausar back into this year’s draft knowing exactly what he is — knowing the jumper isn’t coming, knowing the scoring will always be limited — he still goes top-five. Some would argue top-two.

Think about what GMs pay for in the draft: projection, potential, defensive impact. A guy who projects as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate? That’s a lottery pick every single time, regardless of offensive limitations.

The Offensive Frustration Is Real, But Fixable

Here’s where Ausar drives people crazy: the talent is obviously there. He’s an athletic freak. He can get to the rim. He should be able to finish through contact and become a consistent driver of the basketball.

But the indecision around the rim, the timidness — it shows up too often. The rip-through moves aren’t there because the Pistons don’t feature him in sets where he’d need them. It’s a chicken-and-egg problem.

The reality is the Pistons aren’t built to feature their wing offensively. In today’s NBA, most teams need their wing to score. Detroit isn’t set up that way, and you wonder if it’ll bite them eventually. But if Ausar keeps giving you the defensive effort he showed in Game 5? You can live with the offensive limitations.

Stop Asking Him to Be Something He’s Not

Some people want Ausar to be a 15-17 point per game scorer. That’s never happening. The jump shot isn’t getting there. Accept it.

What you should want: a guy who changes games without needing touches. A guy who makes your defense elite. A guy who grabs 15 rebounds while your actual center disappears.

That’s Ausar Thompson. That’s the modern Rodman. And if the Pistons are smart, they’ll stop trying to turn him into something else and just let him be exactly what he is: the second-most valuable player on a team that’s still alive in the playoffs.

The Takeaways

• Ausar Thompson grabbed 15 rebounds in Game 5 while Jalen Duren couldn’t get on the glass — that’s a problem Detroit needs to address
• The Dennis Rodman comparison works: limited offense, elite defense, game-changing energy and rebounding from a wing
• If Ausar went back into the 2023 draft with everyone knowing what he’d become, he’d still go top-two
• He’s the second-most valuable Piston behind Cade Cunningham — defensive versatility like his is impossible to find
• Stop expecting 15+ points — that jumper isn’t coming, and it doesn’t need to

Watch the full segment on YouTube: Detroit Pistons MUST WIN GAME | Big D Energy | Friday, May 1st, 2026