Pistons leave Summer League with 'big smile on our face' for Thompson and Sasser
The Pistons entered Summer League action feeling good about their two first-round picks, and left feeling even better.
Together, Ausur Thompson and Marcus Sasser arrived and went out with a bang. Sasser topped things off Sunday night by dropping a Summer League-high 40 points in the Pistons' win over the Pacers, after Thompson had spent the first four games making highlights and headlines.
Pistons associate GM George David said on 97.1 The Ticket's Restore the Floor podcast that "we couldn't be happier with the person each one of them have been in terms of their character and fitting in as a Piston, but also to see the many different ways that they're impacting games."
"There's multiple areas in the box score that these guys are both impacting. That gives us a big smile on our face every morning. We're extremely happy and feel great about the future of both of those guys," said David.
Thompson, in particular, was a menace. He averaged a double-double with 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds across four games, including an 18-point, 14-board performance in Detroit's win over the Spurs last week. He also flashed his elite defensive abilities with 2.3 steals and 1.8 blocks.
His athleticism was on full display when he soared for arguably the best dunk in Vegas, a reverse alley-oop off a feed from Sasser in a win over the Raptors. Thompson finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and four steals that night, while Sasser added 15 points and seven assists.
Pistons new head coach Monty Williams was so impressed by Thompson, the No. 5 pick, and Sasser, No. 25, that he wants them to ... marry his daughters:
"Make no mistake, I've become a fan of Ausar and Sass," Williams told ESPN during Detroit's win over the Spurs. "Their toughness, we saw it down the stretch last game. Those two guys just made play after play and played winning basketball, which is something that makes wants to take them home and arrange a marriage with my daughters."
Hard to find higher praise than that.
Among other topics on the Restore the Floor podcast, David also touched on the Pistons' acquisition of veteran wing Joe Harris and the untapped potential of Isaiah Stewart, who signed a four-year, $64 million extension with Detroit last week.
On Harris: "With Joe, there's two things that we're really happy about. One, not only to get the shooter that Joe is, but two, and I know you've heard this ad nauseam from Troy (Weaver), him as a person and a veteran. One of the things that's really important with a team that's as young as ours is the veterans that we put with the team. You can have one wrong vet with a young team and it can cause a trickle-down that can be a problem. With Joe, we're not just happy about the shooter, but the veteran. Those were the things that for us were a big part of making that trade."
On Stewart's potential as a three-point shooter: "I think Beef Stew is one of the hardest-working players not only on our team but in the NBA. We all do it, teams, media, fans, we all at times think that a player is who he is by a certain age. And we don't necessarily think after two or three years where a player is going to get to. I think Stew is just starting in terms of showing some of the things he can do, his work ethic, his leadership and how he embodies what Troy, Monty and we want our team to be about as the Pistons."
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