Ausar Thompson was already highly regarded as a prospect before the Detroit Pistons drafted him with the fifth overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. But Thompson has done nothing but shatter expectations since then. Thompson is such a live-wire on the court, always jumping for rebounds while being so active on the defensive end of the court, racking up steals and blocks like it's no big deal. But on Friday night, in an NBA In-Season Tournament battle against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thompson ran into some adversity leading to a benching from head coach Monty Williams.

Thompson simply did not look comfortable on the offensive end all night long; he seemed lost, not knowing where to be on certain possessions, and he was careless with possession as well, finishing the game with five turnovers. In the end, he played just 17 minutes, with the Pistons favoring Jaden Ivey and Alec Burks instead.

After the Pistons' 108-100 loss to the Cavs, Monty Williams admitted that benching Ausar Thompson is simply part of the tough love process young players have to go through, especially when instilling discipline in such a youthful team is a point of emphasis for the veteran head coach.

“Any young player with that kind of talent is going to have moments like he had tonight. I can't be the coach I told them I'm going to be if he's turning the ball over and not taking the shots we want to take,” Williams said in his postgame presser, per James L. Edwards of The Athletic.

Ausar Thompson's play was indicative of a bigger problem for the entire Pistons team; according to Monty Williams, the team was so fixated on making home run plays instead of nailing the little things that lead to winning.

“I was proud of the fight, even when we got down. But our goal right now is to be a solid team. I see us trying to make great plays instead of solid plays, and we have to be ok with solid plays,” Williams added, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

There will be growing pains for any young player, even for someone as talented as Ausar Thompson, so look for the Pistons' prized rookie to bounce back in no time.