Ausar Thompson Loses Defensive Player of the Year Award

Ausar Thompson lost the Defensive Player of the Year award to Victor Wembanyama, announced on Monday, April 20.

The Detroit Pistons' standout defender was a finalist for the prestigious award, but did not win, finishing third with 9 second-place votes and 33 third-place votes.

The San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama was the unanimous winner with all 100 votes.

Ausar Thompson submitted a stellar defensive season, averaging 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and an NBA-high 2 steals per game in just 26 minutes per game.

He was the leader of the league's No. 2 defense, which forced more turnovers and blocked more shots per game than any other team.

The Pistons earned the East's No. 1 seed following a 60-22 season, but are still looking for their first home playoff win at Little Caesars Arena.

Ausar Thompson played just 25 minutes overall in Game 1, tallying 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, as the Magic defense roamed off him due to his deficient outside shooting capabilities.

The Pistons will look to bounce back in Game 2 on Wednesday night at LCA.

Ausar Thompson is likely to make an All-Defensive team, following his impressive defensive season.

The 23-year-old wing was looking to become the third Piston to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, following Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace.

Victor Wembanyama, at age 22, is the youngest to win the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy, averaging 3.1 blocks per game in 29.2 minutes.