Pistons forward Ausar Thompson isn’t the first rookie to be left in a bit of disarray after trying to defend Warriors star Steph Curry, and he certainly won’t be the last. But the 20-year-old deserves some praise for his detailed and brutally honest assessment of exactly what makes defending Curry so difficult.
Thompson’s first opportunity to square off against the nine-time NBA All-Star came Monday night when Detroit welcomed Curry and the Warriors to town. After the game, Thompson detailed how Curry is able to “lull you to sleep” defensively.
“People always say it’s the movement, but he really tries to lull you to sleep. He walks the sideline, looks at the bench, and then you have to run through two screens and it’s like, ‘What just happened?’” Thompson said, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.
The Warriors beat the Pistons, 120—109, as Curry poured in 34 points on 12-of-26 shooting while knocking down 7-of-17 attempts from three-point range. The 35-year-old also finished the night with the best plus-minus of the game at plus-17.
