Player comparisons for Ausur Thompson and Marcus Sasser

Ausar Thompson celebrates after being drafted fifth overall pick by the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The Detroit Pistons came in to the 2023 NBA Draft with one first round pick and left with two, similar to last year when Troy Weaver was able to grab two core pieces in Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. The Detroit Pistons’ front office has been known to take an aggressive approach on draft night since Weaver took the reins. There’s plenty of things to discuss following one of the most exciting nights of the NBA season.

Now that the dust settled after the NBA Draft the Pistons walk away feeling confident about their selections. They took the high-ceiling Ausar Thompson with the 5th pick. Then Troy Weaver worked his magic, trading up to select a four-year collegiate player Marcus Sasser in the late first round. Two different players who took completely different routes to the league, both selected by Weaver’s regime to help with the next stage of this restoration.

Marcus and Ausur should earn minutes right away with a new coaching staff in Detroit. Everyone will start training camp learning a new system, so they’ll be on an equal playing field learning with their teammates. This gives them a strong opportunity to impress Monty’s staff and become rotation pieces. Both players have a unique skill set making them valuable in their own right. We’ll dive into their games, breaking them down with realistic player comparisons.