The Detroit Pistons needed a lot of talent, and you can only fill so many of those roster holes with one selection. With the fifth pick, the Pistons decided the best talent to have, and the player with the highest upside was Ausar Thompson. The versatile wing defender and connector went just one pick after his twin brother Amen, who went No. 4 to the Houston Rockets.
Shortly after the Pistons made the selection, NBA draft analyst Matt Babcock joined DBB Live and said his ceiling could be a player similar to Scottie Pippen.