Bickerstaff: Ausar Thompson to play more minutes

Ausar has been awesome in category leagues if you need good out of position rebounds and assists. He’s been a more focal point of the offense with the Pistons this season and his role is safe on this team. We don’t need to worry about coach JB Bickerstaff taking away minutes from him anymore which should relieve fantasy managers.

Thompson was initially probable for Wednesday’s game, so the status upgrade is unsurprising. The Pistons will stick with the five that started Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks, with Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, John Collins and Paul Reed rounding out the quintet.

Thompson played on Tuesday after missing Sunday’s game, and he should be good to go for the second leg of this back-to-back. Daniss Jenkins, who started in place of Thompson on Sunday, should continue to play a reserve role.

Thompson is back after sitting out Sunday’s win over the 76ers. He’ll take on the task of defending Jalen Brunson, while Daniss Jenkins returns to the bench.

Thompson missed Sunday’s game against the 76ers after injuring his ankle on Friday. Daniss Jenkins replaced him in the starting lineup, with Ron Holland II and Javonte Green taking on larger roles off the bench. The rotation would likely be similar if Ausar remains out, with Jenkins being the preferred streaming option.

Thompson will not play on Sunday after spraining his ankle during Friday’s win over the Heat. Ron Holland II and Javonte Green are two of the potential replacements in the starting lineup.

Thompson, who’s officially questionable for Sunday’s game against the 76ers, sprained his right ankle during Friday’s win over the Heat. If he can’t play, the Pistons have multiple options on the bench, including Ron Holland II and Javonte Green. Holland played 22 minutes on Friday, while Green played 13.

Thompson rolled his ankle, left the game and didn’t return in Friday’s win over the Heat. It’s encouraging that he’s listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the 76ers rather than being ruled out in advance. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Pistons exercise some caution and give Thompson more time off. In that case, Ron Holland II could see more playing time off the bench, though he’s not worth the risk to stream in fantasy leagues.

Thompson appeared to roll his ankle while Duren grabbed his leg and headed to the locker room midway through the second quarter. While there was no update from Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff after the game, the team said Duren was questionable to return with a thigh injury. It’s unclear if either player will be available for Sunday’s game against the 76ers, though more information about Thompson and Duren’s status should be available Saturday.

Thompson made his presence felt on the defensive end, which contributed to Jayson Tatum only shooting 6-of-23 from the floor. That didn’t lead to many defensive stats, but those will come with time. However, Thompson was able to lead both teams in rebounding and was a solid secondary playmaker for them. It likely won’t last, but he did also make all three of his free throws after shooting 57.1 percent from the line last year. The most encouraging aspect of his stat line may have been that he played 33 minutes, which is way more than his 26.0 minutes per game last season.