Ausar Thompson (ankle) questionable Sunday vs. 76ers

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 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.

Thompson was unable to capitalize on his opportunity to play a larger role in Detroit’s offense with both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren sitting out this latest exhibition contest. He hit just one of his seven field goals, but did a little bit of everything to fill out the rest of the fantasy-relevant categories. He finished as a top-100 fantasy contributor by averaging 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per-game last year. He’s positioned to take another step forward as a key component of Detroit’s core and will be a top-50 range selection in most fantasy drafts this fall.

Thompson averaged a career-high 26 minutes last season, but his coach said the expectation will be for more minutes this season. How many more minutes is unclear, but we can expect the 23-year-old Thompson to be more of a full-time player this year. That’s a boost to Thompson’s fantasy value as he comes off the board in the eighth-round of fantasy drafts.

The contract extension comes after Detroit finished as the Eastern Conference’s top seed for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Thompson started 72 of 73 regular-season games en route to earning a spot on the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game, and will enter his fourth NBA season with a chance to build on his overall game. A jump in offensive production would boost his fantasy value.

The Pistons don’t look to Thompson for much offensive production, but his deficiencies on that end were a problem against the Cavaliers. While the elite defensive ability is why Ausar logs heavy minutes, the inability to shoot was just as problematic for Detroit as center Jalen Duren’s struggles. Extension-eligible this summer, Thompson must make strides on offense to not only raise Detroit’s ceiling but his as well. Fantasy-wise, Ausar is capable of offering excellent value in category leagues, but only if he can expand his game.

Harris continues to provide reliable scoring, having now scored 20 points or more in each of his last eight games. The Pistons’ forward shot the ball well in Game 3, making 50 percent of his attempts from the field overall. However, Harris recorded no assists or defensive stats after being responsible for two steals and two blocks in Detroit’s Game 2 victory. With Jalen Duren (11/4/1/2) and Ausar Thompson (nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks) continuing to underwhelm, this places more pressure on Harris to perform.

While Philadelphia’s Tyrese Mazey led all scorers with 23 points, Thompson did an outstanding job of making him work for everything. The 76ers’ point guard was able to get his, but he could not get others going. Maxey was responsible for just one assist, while Thompson recorded three steals and a blocked shot. Add in the points and rebounds, and the Pistons’ wing had a very good night in Philadelphia.