With the fourth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets selected Amen Thompson, and with the fifth pick, the Detroit Pistons grabbed his twin brother, Overtime Elite’s Ausar Thompson.
The Thompson Twins become the first brothers to be drafted in the Top-5 in the same draft in NBA history.
Ironically, Amen Thompson is one minute older than the 20-year-old Ausar Thompson, and in terms of the NBA, Amen’s selection was around five minutes before Ausar.
“I think it’s kind of cool going first,” Amen Thompson said after the selection. “It means a lot to my family. Me and Ausar, we were going to be happy whoever went first. But it means a lot to my family seeing all the hard work pay off. Us go back to back, be the first twins in the same draft to go top five; it means a lot.”
In 2022-23, Ausar Thompson 6-7, 215, averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes across 20 games for the City Reapers of Overtime Elite. He was named Overtime Elite MVP and later named Finals MVP after averaging 21.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in the playoffs.
Amen and Ausar have mostly played together, and now, they will have to adjust, but Ausar believes they will be fine.
“I feel like we’re going to adapt,” he said. “It may be a little hard, but I think he’s going to be fine. I know I’m going to be fine. I’ll FaceTime him.”
The Detroit Pistons have a lot of young talent, including Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren. According to Thompson, Detroit is the perfect place for him.
“I liked what they were talking about,” he said. “I liked the direction they wanted to go in as a team, and I just felt like that was a perfect place for me.”
Thompson is the fourth top-five selection for the Pistons since 1995 (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Darko Milicic) and the third in the last three seasons.
In addition, Detroit agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to No. 25 overall pick, Marcus Sasser, as part of a larger trade that is not yet final.
Sasser, 6-2, 195, averaged 16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals in 30.8 minutes across 36 games in his senior season at Houston. After leading the Cougars to a 33-4 record and a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Sasser was a consensus 2022-23 All-American First Team selection. Sasser won the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year award in 2022-23. In addition, he was a Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year finalist and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist.
He hails from a basketball family as his uncles Jeryl (No. 22 overall to Orlando in 2001) and Jason Sasser (No. 41 overall to Sacramento in 1996) were both drafted into the NBA.
On Monday, the Detroit Pistons announced that Dwane Casey will transition into a new role in the front office and that a search process for a new head coach, led by Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver, will begin immediately.
The Pistons(17-65) had the worst record in the NBA this season.
“I’m excited for what we’ve done, the culture and foundation that we’ve built,” said Casey via press release. “It’s been a good 44 years. Tom (Gores) has given me the opportunity to move into the front office, and I’m excited about it, to go to the next phase of my life.”
Casey, 65, was named the team’s head coach on June 11, 2018, and tallied a regular-season record of 121-263 (.315) in five seasons with the Pistons.
Casey’s best season in Detroit was during the 2018-19 season when he posted a 41-41 (.500) record and led the club to its first postseason appearance since the 2015-16 season.
Here’s a statement from Pistons owner Tom Gores:
“Dwane joined us as an experienced and successful coach ready to lead a veteran team, but when we made adjustments as an organization to rebuild around a younger core, he fully embraced the decision,” Gores said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more, and I’m very proud of Dwane and our players. The young men he has been teaching and guiding are very fortunate to have had his leadership and direction. He’s protected their hearts and their spirit and instilled in them the work ethic and desire required to reach greatness.
“Under the leadership of General Manager Troy Weaver, he has helped re-set our culture and restore our aspiration to compete at a high level and contend for championships. Of course, there is still lots of work to do. But as we enter the next phase of this rebuild, I am optimistic about our team and our direction, and very excited about the newest member of our front office, Dwane Casey.”
Here’s what Detroit Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver had to say about Casey:
“I want to thank Coach Casey for his commitment to the organization over the last five seasons,” said Weaver. “He has represented the organization with class and grace and built a system in which our young players could learn and grow. As we enter the next phase of our restoring, I look forward to continuing our work together in the front office and supporting him during his new chapter of life. I’m excited for him and his family moving forward.”
After missing two games with a sprained ankle, Mavericks star Luka Doncic was back against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, and he picked up where he left off.
He scored 24 points in the first quarter and had 34 points at the break and 45 after three quarters. Ultimately, Doncic finished the game with 53 points (17-24 FG, 5-11 3FG, 14-18 FT), eight rebounds, and five assists as the Mavs(27-25) defeated the Pistons(13-39) 111-105 at American Airlines Center.
Doncic’s 53 points is a team record for the most points in a regulation-length game. He’s back, but according to him, he’s not entirely healthy.
“It’s good,” he said. “It’s not 100%, but it’s good. I did some good work.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Doncic and the team were connected in his return.
“I think we were connected,” Kidd said. “I think sometimes when someone comes back, you tend to wait. Spencer [Dinwiddie], after the last two games, was playing at a high level. I thought he was letting Luka dictate everything instead of just playing the game he was playing the last two [games]. Luka’s going to join the party; he’s too talented not to, the ball is going to find him.
Doncic handled the scoring load for the first three quarters, and Spencer Dinwiddie, who was the only Dallas player besides Doncic to score in double figures on Tuesday night, took over in the fourth. He had 10 of 12 points in the final stanza and gave Dallas their first lead in the fourth since the second quarter, which the Mavs never relinquished.
Doncic was impressed by the play of Dinwiddie.
“I mean, he’s an amazing player,” he said. “He needs to stay aggressive and play his game and get going. He’s an amazing player.”
Dallas gets back at it on Thursday night as they host the Pelicans.
Notes:
Doncic now has four games this season with 50-plus points, which leads the NBA (four players tied with two games). The Mavericks are 4-0 this season when he goes for 50-plus points. Doncic joined Kobe Bryant, James Harden (3x), and Michael Jordan as the only players to post four games with 50-plus points over the last 50 years.
No Donovan Mitchell(ankle sprain), no Darius Garland(knee sprain), and no problems as the Cavs went into Detroit(2-8) without its two top scorers and got their seventh straight win as they routed the Pistons 112-88.
Cleveland(7-1), who led by as many as 30 points, had all hands on deck as they had six players in double figures.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over Toronto:
Great:
Evan Mobley was a beast on defense! He had a career-high eight blocks as he became the youngest player in Cavs history to record that many blocks in a game. In addition, he had 11 points and eight rebounds. Cleveland was tough on defense as they recorded 13 blocks, held Detroit to 37% shooting, and forced 19 turnovers that led to 28 points.
Kevin Love almost messed around and had a triple-double, as he had 21 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists off the bench. Love stepped up and handled his business for Cleveland. In addition, Love was a game-high plus-30. The Cavs got 54 points from its bench, including 15 points from Cedi Osman.
Jarrett Allen had 17 of his season-high 23 points in the first half, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
Caris LeVert started at point guard and had 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
Second quarter: Cleveland blew the game open in the second quarter. The Cavs led 24-21 after the first quarter. They went on a 23-5 run to take a 21-point lead in the second. Cleveland outscored the Pistons 33-18 in the quarter. They shot 63% in the second and held the Pistons to 32% from the field. The Cavs led 57-39 at the break.
Not So Great:
It’s all great!! Nothing to see here!
Bottom Line:
The Cavs came together as a team, and great things happened. Everyone stepped up their game, and that’s what you need to do when your top players are down. The NBA is weird like that sometimes. When the chips are down, the other guys get it done.
What’s Next:
The Cavs head west as they battle LeBron and the Lakers on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
Best of the Rest:
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Jaden Ivey and Saddiq Bey had 18 apiece.
According to Elias Sports, Love (21 PTS, 10 AST, 8 REB) became the first Cavs player ever to record 20-plus 10-plus assists and eight-plus rebounds off the bench. Love’s time-on-court (23:26) is the lowest of any player in the shot clock era (1954-55) to hit those minimums.
Junkyard Dog:
Everybody gets the award! J.B. Bickerstaff gave the prize to the whole team.
The Detroit Pistons have signed Bojan Bogdanović to a contract extension, the team announced Monday.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it’s a two-year, $39.1 million extension.
In September, the Pistons acquired Bogdanović from the Utah Jazz, and he’s off to a good start. In seven games this season, the eight-year veteran is averaging a team and career-high 22.7 points per game while shooting 53% from the field and 51% from 3-point range.
The 33-year-old has been one of the best players on this team, and the Pistons rewarded him with an extension.
Last season, the 6-7 Bogdanović averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 30.9 minutes per game with the Jazz. He averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists over the previous three seasons in Utah while shooting 45% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
Drafted 31st overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, Bogdanović played professionally overseas before coming to the NBA in 2014. He began his professional career in Europe, most notably, with Real Madrid in Spain and Fenerbahce in Turkey.
On Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons unveiled their Statement Edition uniforms for the 2022-23 NBA season.
The black uniforms feature “DET” across the chest in white lettering, with a blue and red stripe across the jersey. The stripes pay homage to the warmup tops the Pistons wore during the late 80’s and early 90’s.
The uniform also features blue trim and the Pistons 313 logo on the shorts. United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the Pistons official jersey patch and exclusive mortgage partner, is featured prominently on the jersey’s left front strap.
The Statement Edition jerseys will be worn during every “In It For My City” promotional game throughout the season.
Here’s a sneak peek:
Guard (2) Cade Cunningham and forward (41) Saddiq Bey of the Detroit Pistons pose during a photoshoot, Tuesday, August 16, 2022, in Beverly Hills, CA. (Jeff Lewis)Guard (2) Cade Cunningham and forward (41) Saddiq Bey of the Detroit Pistons pose during a photoshoot, Tuesday, August 16, 2022, in Beverly Hills, CA. (Jeff Lewis)Guard (2) Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons poses during a photoshoot, Tuesday, August 16, 2022, in Beverly Hills, CA. (Jeff Lewis)Forward (41) Saddiq Bey of the Detroit Pistons poses during a photoshoot, Tuesday, August 16, 2022, in Beverly Hills, CA. (Jeff Lewis)
The NBA season is almost upon us, but before we get to the regular season, teams must prepare during training camp and preseason.
The Mavericks, Pistons, and Suns announced their preseason schedules on Thursday.
The NBA regular season begins on October 18.
Dallas Mavericks:
The Dallas Mavericks preseason schedule tips off on October 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the BOK Center.
Following their matchup with the Thunder, the Mavericks will host No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic at American Airlines Center on Friday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. CT. Dallas will then conclude its exhibition season with a playoff rematch against the Jazz in Utah on Friday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. CT.
2022 DALLAS MAVERICKS PRESEASON SCHEDULE:
DATE
OPPONENT
TIME (CT)
LOCATION
VENUE
TV
Wed. Oct. 5
@ Oklahoma City
7:00 p.m.
Tulsa, OK
BOK Center
Mavs.com
Fri. Oct. 7
vs. Orlando
7:30 p.m.
Dallas
American Airlines Center
BSSW
Fri., Oct. 14
@ Utah
8:00 p.m.
Salt Lake City
Vivint Arena
BSSW
Detroit Pistons:
The Detroit Pistons preseason schedule features two home and two away games. Detroit will host the Oklahoma City Thunder (10/11) and the Memphis Grizzlies (10/13).
The Pistons will first travel to New York (10/4) to take on the Knicks and then to New Orleans (10/7) to face the Pelicans before returning to Detroit for the home slate. The Knicks game will be televised nationally on TNT.
Phoenix Suns:
The Phoenix Suns will play a four-game preseason schedule in preparation for the 2022-23 regular season, playing two home games at Footprint Center and two road games.
The Suns’ full 2022 preseason schedule is listed below.
The Detroit Pistons have signed forward Kevin Knox and re-signed guard Rodney McGruder, the team announced Tuesday.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, it’s a two-year, $6 million deal for Knox, while McGruder reportedly signed a one-year contract.
Last season, the 6-7 Knox spent time with the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks. He averaged 3.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.4 minutes over 30 games. The 22-year-old played in two games for the Hawks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, recording double-digit scoring in both outings.
The Phoenix native, who was drafted ninth overall out of Kentucky in the 2018 draft, was traded on Jan. 13 of this previous season from New York to Atlanta after spending three-plus NBA seasons with the Knicks. In his rookie campaign with New York in 2018-19, Knox tallied clips of 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 28.8 minutes through 75 games (57 starts).
McGruder, 31, has averaged 5.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 14.1 minutes through 67 games (four starts) for Detroit from 2020-22. McGruder holds shooting clips of .458 from the field and .406 from 3-point range while with the Pistons over the last two seasons. His 3-point shooting percentage marks the fifth-highest in Pistons history by a player with a minimum of 150 3-point attempts. Last season, McGruder averaged 5.4 points and 1.6 rebounds over 51 games.
The six-year NBA veteran was originally acquired by Detroit from the L.A. Clippers via a three-team trade also involving the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 19, 2020. He played three seasons for Miami before suiting up for the Clippers for the 2019-20 campaign.
On Monday night, the Detroit Pistons unveiled their Classic Edition uniforms for the 2022-23 NBA season, a replica of the road uniforms the Pistons donned from 1996 – 2001.
The Pistons unveiled the jerseys during a launch party at the Renaissance Center. Jerry Stackhouse, who began his time with the Pistons organization in the teal jersey, was on-site to showcase the Classic Edition uniform.
“To Pistons fans everywhere – we heard you, and this is for you,” said Mike Zavodsky, Chief Business Officer for the Detroit Pistons, via a press release announcing the uniforms. “The teal jerseys represent a ‘colorful’ time in Pistons basketball and NBA history.
The teal jersey represents its own unique era in Detroit Pistons history. The team clinched postseason berths on three separate occasions, with franchise standouts such as Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, Lindsey Hunter, and Ben Wallace suiting up in the teal horsehead threads.
The uniform is a direct replica of the original – black, yellow, and red trim on a teal jersey that features the famed flaming horsehead. United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the Pistons’ official jersey patch and exclusive mortgage partner, is featured prominently on the jersey’s left front strap. The team is expected to sport the teal jerseys in approximately 10 games during the upcoming season as part of their 2022-23 uniform rotation.
