The Detroit Pistons may have seen their season end Sunday night, but Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson made one thing crystal clear afterward.
Ausar Thompson is a problem.
A major problem.
Following Cleveland’s 125-94 Game 7 win over Detroit, Atkinson openly admitted that one of the Cavaliers’ biggest tactical adjustments throughout the series centered around avoiding Thompson whenever possible.
“The tactical adjustment we made was avoiding [Ausar] Thompson,” Atkinson said. “We were just like, if he’s near the ball, throw it to someone else.”
That is about as strong of a compliment as a defensive player can receive from an opposing coach after a playoff series.
Ausar Thompson earning league-wide respect
At just 23 years old, Thompson is already building a reputation as one of the NBA’s elite perimeter defenders.
And based on Atkinson’s comments, that reputation is no longer limited to Detroit.
The Cavaliers spent Game 7 actively trying to keep the ball away from whichever player Thompson was guarding. That kind of game planning is usually reserved for longtime All-Defensive Team veterans.
Not third-year players.
Yet Thompson has quickly become the type of defender capable of completely disrupting offensive flow, creating turnovers, and forcing teams out of their comfort zones.
Even in Detroit’s Game 7 loss, Thompson continued flashing his defensive instincts with seven rebounds and two blocked shots while constantly applying pressure on Cleveland’s ball handlers.
Cavaliers adjusted because of Thompson’s impact
Atkinson’s comments reveal just how much respect Cleveland developed for Thompson during the series.
The Cavaliers are loaded with offensive talent, including Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. But despite all of that firepower, Cleveland still felt the need to adjust its offense specifically to avoid Thompson’s defensive presence.
That says everything.
Detroit may not have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, but Thompson’s emergence throughout the postseason was one of the biggest long-term victories for the franchise.
The Pistons already knew he could defend.
Now the rest of the NBA clearly knows too.
Detroit Pistons have defensive cornerstone moving forward
The scary part for opposing teams is that Thompson is still developing offensively.
His athleticism, defensive instincts, and effort level already make him one of the most disruptive defenders in basketball.
And according to Atkinson, Cleveland already understood exactly how impactful Thompson can be.
The Pistons’ season may have ended Sunday night.
But Ausar Thompson left the series with something equally valuable.
Respect from the opponent that eliminated Detroit.