2023 NBA Draft: Evaluating Overtime Elite's Ausar Thompson

Ausar Thompson is one of the best defensive prospects in the upcoming draft. He’s much more than just a defender though and it’s why he’s projected to be a high pick in the draft. What makes him a projected top ten pick?

Ausar Thompson has now played two seasons in the Overtime Elite League. The 6-foot-7 wing won back-to-back championships in the league and that alone speaks volume to how he affects winnings in a positive way. He’s a two-way prospect and is one half of the best twin prospects ever. Let's dive into why Thompson is a potential top ten pick.

Defensive Ceiling

Thompson projects to be an elite on-ball defender. The defensive wing has the lateral quickness, quick feet, and size to be one of the top perimeter defenders in the draft. The OTE star has the ability to make life miserable for ball-handlers trying to create in the half-court. When Thompson’s engaged he consistently beats defenders to their spot. At 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan combined with his elite athleticism he has the versatility to defend up and down a lineup. Thompson is easily one of the most versatile defenders in the draft.

The projected top ten pick has elite shot-blocking instincts for a wing. The combination of timing, quickness getting off the ground, vertical pop, and length allows him to alter so many shots inside the paint. The shot-blocking wing should be able to serve as a secondary rim protector at the next level. This could allow him to play at the power forward position when a team elects to go small. He's a stocks machine as per 40 minutes he averaged 3.5 stocks. It’s his quick hands and great defensive anticipation that makes him an elite defensive playmaker.

Slashing Upside

Thompson has an elite handle and burst to create separation from defenders off the dribble. It’s not far-fetched to say that he has one of the best handles in the entire draft. The versatile wing has shown good touch around the rim, positional size, and elite athleticism which could allow him to be one of the top slashers in the draft. The athletic wing has his struggles finishing through contact but the tools and upside is there for him to be an elite finisher around the rim.

Thompson is effective in the half-court but he’s absolutely scary in the open floor as his open floor speed combined with his finishing ability and natural feel for the game makes him one of the top prospects in the open floor. Thompson is an effective cutter due to the timing on his cuts and his finishing ability inside the paint. The most underrated part of his game is the off-ball scoring ability due to his off-ball passing skills, cutting, and improved shooting ability.

Secondary Playmaking Ability

Thompson is one of the top secondary playmakers in the entire draft. The two-way wing has shown flashes of advanced court vision and a great feel for the game. The playmaking wing is a really fun outlet passer and overall passer in transition. Thompson has the ability to grab rebounds or loose balls and accurately throw the ball down the court to a teammate running the floor.

The potential top ten pick is a good overall passer out of the pick and roll as he does a good job getting the roll-man involved but is also more than capable of finding shooters and cutters. The 6-foot-7 wing has the ability to be an elite connector piece for an NBA team due to his off-ball passing skills, defensive upside, and secondary slashing potential.

Biggest Area of Improvement

Thompson’s three-point shooting is still a work in progress as he’s quite inconsistent and streaky from the outside. When the wing is rushed to shoot, the results aren't good. He is considered the better shooter amongst him and his twin brother, Amen Thompson. It’s worth noting that he did shoot 38.5% from three in the playoffs which is incredibly encouraging.

The touch is there as well which gives him slight upside as a shooter but he’s way away from reaching his ceiling as a shooter. Opposing teams will go under on ball-screens when he's operating out of the pick and roll as a ball-handler so it’ll be key for him to add a consistent jumper as a secondary creator. The overall shot profile needs work as he still has room to grow as a shot-maker. The two-way wing may be limited as a scorer in the half-court due to the shooting inconsistencies.

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