Detroit Pistons draft grades 2023: What they're saying on Ausar Thompson, Marcus Sasser
The Detroit Pistons added two more first-round picks in Thursday night's 2023 NBA draft.
Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser, whom the team traded up for, became the seventh and eighth first-rounders selected by Troy Weaver over his four drafts as Pistons general manager. Sasser is the first player picked by Weaver in the 20s.
Weaver's draft record is still to be determined over the seasons to come, but he seems to have more hits than misses as we stand right now: Killian Hayes (No. 7 in 2020), Isaiah Stewart (No. 16 in 2020), Saddiq Bey (No. 19 in 2020), Cade Cunningham (No. 1 in 2021), Jaden Ivey (No. 5 in 2022) and Jalen Duren (No. 13 in 2022).
Here's what draft aficionados are saying about the Pistons' 2023 haul, edited for brevity. See the links for further breakdowns of each pick in the draft.
Ausar Thompson at No. 5 overall
For The Win, Bryan Kalbrosky: A-
"Ausar Thompson is an excellent home run swing for the Pistons. I love the athleticism of the core they’re building in Detroit, and I think that Ausar is going to have a lot of success playing alongside Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey."
CBS Sports, Adam Finkelstein: B+
"This possibly was a reach for the other Thompson twin, who is less regarded as a prospect than Amen and might have been available with a trade back. Here's my concern in Detroit: Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey already are weak shooters, so there's pressure to see Thompson help space the floor."
Sporting News, Kyle Irving: A-
"While I like the fit with either power forward on the board — Jarace Walker or Cam Whitmore — Ausar will complement Detroit’s backcourt and shore up its perimeter."
SB Nation, Ricky O'Donnell: B
"This is a bit of a strange fit for the Pistons given that the team’s biggest weakness is shooting next to Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren. Ausar isn’t going to help them in that area. At the same time, Ausar should provide an instant injection of athleticism and connective passing while acting as a super versatile defender. Detroit is loaded with high upside talent, but Ivey and Thompson need to improve as shooters to really make the pieces fit."
Yahoo Sports, Krysten Peek: A
"Ausar is one of the most athletic guards in this draft class, a tenacious defender and has a high basketball IQ. He can switch out playing the 1, 2 or 3 and plays an up-tempo game."
Bleacher Report, Zach Buckley: B+
"He is technically the better-shooting twin, but really that just makes him the least worse shooter of the two. He has cleaner mechanics and therefore a better chance of solving this puzzle, but his shot still needs serious work. And if he can't shoot, he'll have trouble finding a fit. The modern NBA doesn't have a lot of openings for non-shooting wings who play off the ball, and Detroit doesn't really have a stretch big to alleviate the spacing concerns. Thompson's shooting is a huge swing skill in this draft, but there's a lot to like about this pick regardless."
SHAWN WINDSOR: Pistons draft Ausar Thompson, a player that would fit on their greatest teams
Marcus Sasser at No. 25 overall
For The Win, Mike D. Sykes II: C+
"Sasser wasn’t seen as a first-round talent coming into the draft. He’s one of the smaller guards in the draft at 6-foot-1 and is older at 22 years old. But he can score with the best of them and has a solid 3-point shot off of the dribble. Detroit needs that sort of shot creation. This pick feels like a bit of a reach, but considering the Pistons didn’t give up much for it, it’s a fine move."
SB Nation, Ricky O'Donnell: B-
"This feels like a surprising pick for Detroit after trading up. The Pistons are already built around two guards in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, and just drafted another big guard in Ausar Thompson at No. 5. Sasser brings volume shooting and tough defense, but he’s a bit small for an NBA guard going with a top-25 pick. Detroit could have used a wing shooter here, and there were some good ones still on the board."
Bleacher report, Zach Buckley: D+
"He has spark-plug potential, but he needs to expand his offensive menu, because teams will hunt him out on defense. Detroit could have doubled down on the wing spot here, or if it really wanted a guard, it could've gotten more mileage out of Ben Sheppard, Nick Smith Jr. or Brice Sensabaugh."
Sporting News, Kyle Irving: C
"With young players like Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes on the roster, it's surprising to see the Pistons use this pick on another guard."
Yahoo Sports, Krysten Peek: D+
"What Sasser lacks in size as an NBA guard, he makes up for in power and how strong he is with the ball. Sasser is a true floor general who is entering the league with experience playing under a Hall of Fame coach in Kelvin Sampson. But this does feel like a major reach."
CBS Sports, Adam Finkelstein: B
"Detroit needs perimeter shooting and Sasser is a combo guard who can score. He could fit nicely next to Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. He's also the kind of tough baller that Detroit wants."
Catch "The Pistons Pulse" draft reaction Friday morning live on YouTube or on demand later in the day wherever you listen to podcasts. Catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons NBA draft grade: Ausar Thompson up, Marcus Sasser down
