While his twin brother Amen cut short his Summer League due to a sprained ankle, Ausar Thompson impresses game after game, and tonight the No. 5 draft pick had 18 points and 14 rebounds in the Pistons’ win over the Spurs. At his side, the other rookie, Marcus Sasser, adds 10 points and the two satisfy their future coach, Monty Williams.
“I have become a big fan of Ausar and Sass. Of their tenacity, which we saw at the end of the game” underlines the new coach of the Pistons. “These two guys chained action after action, for an effective basketball. Which makes me want to bring them home and arrange a marriage with my daughters”.
We do not know if his daughters will agree to these forced marriages, but more seriously, Monty Williams explained his choice to join Detroit. At first, the former Suns coach refused to sign for the Pistons because his girlfriend was suffering from cancer.
After receiving good news from the exams, and beyond the big check (at least $80 million over six years…), there was the prospect of working with GM Troy Weaver, whom he knew at the Thunder.
“When I was in Phoenix, I had planned to cut over the summer due to our family situation” explains Monty Williams. “And when I got cut, I thought I could take a year off, or maybe even two. I never took it for granted that someone would call me and offer me a job. I had planned to stay home, drive my family crazy, and do a little fishing and golf… But when Troy called me at the right time, when we had good medical news , his project, his confidence in me and the generosity of Tom Gores (the owner) made me want to reconsider my decision. I talked to my mentor, Pastor Bill (Wilson), and he helped me make the right decision, as well as my partner Lisa, my daughters… My boys, they had no choice! »
