NBA Draft Scouting Report: Overtime Elite's Ausar Thompson

Scouting Report: Ausar Thompson

Contents

1. Prospect Profile
2. Highlights
3. Draft Projection
4. 2023 Big Board

Ausar Thompson

Wing | Overtime Elite

Height: 6'7” | Weight: 205 lbs

2023 Draft Age: 20.39 

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Prospect Profile

The twin brother of Amen Thompson, Ausar Thomson is a defensive-minded player that’s better suited as more of a wing. He’s extremely bouncy and has great feel on that end, which is why he’s able to block so many shots. He is able to get off the ground quickly to high point the ball.

The versatility of Thompson as a defender is special, with him having the ability to guard four positions at a very high level.

The 6-foot-7 wing is extremely long and boasts great footwork. He’s got the lateral quickness to stay in front of guards, but the size and athleticism to take on more modern power forwards. Thompson uses his length and active hands to stay in passing lanes and generate a ton of deflections. When he does steal the ball, he’s great in transition and can finish with authority.

Simply put, Thompson gets it defensively. He plays well within a system and knows his assignment. He often bails teammates out as a helpside defender and blocks quite a few shots of players he’s not even guarding.

There are times when the Overtime Elite prospect does rely on athleticism too much on defense and is undisciplined, but that shouldn’t be too worrisome given he’ll be in a more concrete role and scheme at the next level.

While Thompson doesn’t have the offensive upside of his twin brother, Amen, he’s still not a bad prospect on that end. In fact, he has the better jumper of the two as of today. To be clear, Ausar Thompson is not an elite shooter, but he is the better of the twins right now.

The one thing holding Thompson back from being a guaranteed top-five pick is his jump shot. While he is a much improved shooter, this will absolutely be his swing skill and will determine where he’s selected in the lottery this summer.

The jumper needed quite a bit of work entering last season, almost to the point where it’s somewhat worrisome. However, he worked with some of the top trainers and coaches in the country to improve his mechanics and has somewhat alleviated those concerns. His numbers from deep this this season were respectable and he can further prove he's improved in pre-draft workouts. He’s already great at getting to the rim, but forcing defenses to stay honest on the perimeter will enhance that ability. 

Again, this Thompson twin is more of an off-ball wing, but he does have a good handle for his size and is a decent passer. He can be turnover prone is generally a solid facilitator relative to other wing prospects.

Given he’s 6-foot-7 with good bounce, Thompson is also a quality rebounder.

Overall, Thompson has natural feel and tools make him an elite defensive prospect. He’s on track to becoming a better scorer, but still doesn’t project to be the top offensive option on an NBA team right now.

Playing with Overtime Elite makes scouting Thompson a bit different for NBA teams. The former five-star recruit might be missing out on playing against top level competition with high stakes. Additionally, he’s a bit older than some of the other top prospects in this upcoming class, which may or may not matter at all.

The Thompson twins went to high school in Florida, but grew up in Oakland. They’re following in the footsteps of their older brother, Troy Thompson, who played at both the college and G League levels. 

Highlights

Draft Projection

Early lottery pick in 2023 NBA Draft.

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2023 Big Board

Want to know more about other potential 2023 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Pro Big Board.

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