The Thompson twins have been two of the most hyped up names for the past couple of years, given their elite combination of size, athleticism, and playmaking ability. As now 20 year olds playing in Overtime Elite, their games have both been scrutinized and both players are bunched as one by many fans. There’s a noticeable difference between the two prospects, and you’ll see why in this scouting report.
Per Synergy, this year Ausar Thompson averaged 16 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, and 3 TOPG on splits of 45.5/30.5/72. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Ausar Thomspon
Height/Weight: 6’7/218
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’0/8’8
Hand size: 9.25
Position: SG
Pre-Draft team: Overtime Elite/City Reapers
Tools: Athleticism, defense, passing
Pros:
- Outstanding on-ball defender
- Elite open-court athlete
- Capable spot-up shooter
- Quick first step with long strides
- Great in transition
- High-level playmaker that sees the floor well & has great velocity on passes
Cons:
- Stiff hips and shaky base on jumper
- Needs to speed up and smoothen consistency of top-half of jump shot release
- Needs to get stronger/add weight
- Relies too much on turnaround jumpers after ball pickups
- Has a good handle, but needs to be more creative in using it to get to his spots
- Doesn’t get enough scoring opportunities at the rim as a ball-handler in the half-court; most of his rim attempts come from cuts and transition
Swing Skills:
- Off the dribble scoring
- Shooting consistency
- Strength to be able to play heavy NBA minutes
- Must be able to play half-court offense consistently
Summary:
Ausar Thompson is an elite athlete and defender with a growing jump shot.
Offensively, Ausar Thompson needs to prove his ability to consistently play efficiently within the half-court. On the year he shot just 36.7% on shots in the half-court, and an unpleasant 40% from two. All eight of his half-court dunks were as a cutter, which seems to negate his athleticism as a ball-handler. Eight half court dunks is also alarming because only 20% of his 40 total dunks came in the half-court setting. Additionally, Ausar Thompson struggles to get to his spots as easily as he should given the competition and his athleticism and ball-handling ability. Learning to use his tools will open up his scoring easily.
Another area his lack of consistent half-court scoring affects is his playmaking. Both Thompson twins have good reputations for a special playmaking ability, but if Ausar cannot drive or get to his spots as a self-creator in the half-court, his high-level playmaking will be negated.
Defensively, I had one coach tell me Ausar Thompson is the best on-ball defender he has ever seen. This high praise speaks volumes to how good scouts project his defense to be as a day-one trait. As Ausar adds strength, look for him to one day contend for All-Defense teams with his length, motor, athleticism, and feel for the game propelling a difficult matchup for any offensive player.
Similar to: More athletic Frank Ntilikina, Hamidou Diallo, Gary Payton II, Doug Christie
Projected draft range: 5-10
Expected role: 3&D+ off-guard
Unplayable if: Half-court scoring doesn’t translate, and jumper doesn’t ever become consistent.
Exceeds expectations if: Shooting is league-average or better, and half-court scoring ability improves with NBA spacing.`
Videos:
Shot chart:
