Ausar Thompson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Free Agents, Trades, Offseason Priorities, Thompson

June 8th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Rival teams expect the Pistons to be players in the free agent market this summer, writes Jake Fischer for The Stein Line (Substack link). They have the ability to create around $17MM in cap space if they choose to operate below the salary cap, a decision which could help shed light on the team’s roster-construction plans moving forward.

Fischer writes that the Pistons are looking at different options, including renting out space as a third team in bigger deals in order to accumulate assets or continuing to add veteran talent, a path that helped the team achieve a good measure of success this season.

Fischer also confirms prior reporting that much of Detroit’s focus has revolved around shooting big men such as Myles Turner and Naz Reid — he also adds Grizzlies restricted free agent Santi Aldama to the list of possible Pistons targets. However, Fischer says teams around the league are expecting all three of those bigs to remain with their current clubs.

There’s also the question of Detroit’s own free agents. Tim Hardaw ay Jr., Dennis Schröder, and Malik Beasley are all unrestricted free agents this summer, and with Jaden Ivey set to return from injury, it’s unclear how many backcourt minutes will be available for all three. Fischer believes Hardaway is the least likely of those free agents to return. Beasley and the Pistons have expressed mutual interest in finding a new deal, and Schröder was a hugely valuable piece for Detroit, especially in the playoffs.

We have more Pistons notes:

The Pistons have the pieces to go big-name hunting for the first time in many years, writes Omari Sankofa II for the Detroit Free Press (subscription required). They have up to four tradable first-round picks, 15 second-rounders, and a combination of young, promising players and established veterans. However, with many teams similarly stocked with trade assets, making a blockbuster trade would likely mean paying a significant price, Sankofa writes in a column breaking down three potential deals the Pistons could consider. The first name he considers is the Suns’ Devin Booker, suggesting that a package might consist of Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and a massive combination of first- and second-round picks. He also looks at what it could take to land either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jaren Jack son Jr. The question the Pistons have to decide is whether Cade Cunningham‘s ascendance requires an acceleration of the team-building timeline.
In a mailbag, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com breaks down the team’s priorities this offseason. The level to which Detroit succeeds next year depends, for the most part, on internal development, he writes. That includes Thompson experiencing his first healthy NBA offseason, Iver getting back to 100%, and players like Ron Holland II and Jalen Duren further honing their skill sets. Langlois also points to Cunningham becoming a more consistent three-point shooter and finding ways to cut down the turnovers as key points of emphasis.
In the same mailbag, Langlois discusses which area is more important for Thompson moving forward — shooting or play-making. While a reliable jump shot would put Thompson over the top, Langlois believes that play-making is an area in which the athletic forward can find a great deal of value as he continues trying to develop his individual scoring. He points to a supercharged Josh Hart as a blueprint for how Thompson could find success as a defender, passer, and rebounder, and adds that in terms of the two options, the Pistons guard has a stronger base as a secondary play-maker to build off than he does as a shooter.

Barnes, Stewart, Vassell Candidates For Jamaican National Team

June 5th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Spurs guard/forward Devin Vassell are in discussions to join Jamaica’s men’s basketball team, reports Daniel Blake of The Jamaica Observer (Twitter link).

Clippers wing Norman Powell has already committed to represent Jamaica during the pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer, as has Timberwolves forward Josh Minott, according to Blake (Twitter link).

Rockets wing Amen Thompson and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson may also represent Jamaica in FIBA competitions and possibly the Summer Olympics. Blake hears the Thompson twins began the process of applying for Jamaican passports last week — their father is from Jamaica.

Blake previously mentioned Suns center Nick Richards, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, as another candidate to join the national team.

If Jamaica is able to secure the commitments of all the aforementioned NBA players, the country would become a formidable opponent in international competitions. Former Rookie of the Year and All-Star Barnes is the most accomplished of the group, and all but Minott have established themselves as at least solid rotation players in the NBA.

Central Notes: Cavs, Omoruyi, Pistons, Holland, Bucks

May 30th, 2025 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

While it would be a no-brainer for the Cavaliers to re-sign Ty Jerome if their cap situation allowed for it, he may be a luxury the team can’t afford, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). Previewing Cleveland’s major offseason decisions, Gozlan notes that the club likely didn’t expect Jerome to break out to the extent he did in 2024/25 and probably can’t realistically pay him mid-level money while also carrying two other guards on maximum-salary contracts.

Elsewhere in his preview, Gozlan outlines why re-signing free agent sharpshooter Sam Merrill will also be difficult and suggests that Isaac Okoro looks like the Cavaliers’ most expendable player earning an eight-figure salary if the front office wants to shed some salary.

Here’s more from around the Central Division;

The Cavaliers brought in Alabama big man Clifford Omoruyi for a pre-draft workout earlier this week, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Omoruyi, who ranks 80th on ESPN’s big board of 2025 draft prospects, could be a target for the Cavs at No. 49, at No. 58, or as an undrafted free agent.
With Boston believed to be looking to shed salary this offseason, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) explores whether the Pistons might make a good trade partner for the Celtics. Sankofa’s proposals include a hypothetical deal for Derrick White, one for Jrue Holiday, and one that would swap the No. 37 overall pick for Sam Hauser.
Pistons forward Ron Holland didn’t make an All-Rookie team in 2024/25, but few first-year players had more significant roles on playoff teams, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, who looks back on Holland’s rookie year and considers what’s next for the No. 5 overall pick. As Langlois details, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff likes the defensive impact Holland and Ausar Thompson can make when they play together, but Holland may need to improve his three-point shot for that combination to work offensively.
In his latest mailbag, Eric Nehm of The Athletic fields a series of Bucks-related questions on the team’s potential “gap year,” the disabled player exception that might be available due to Damian Lillard‘s Achilles injury, and Brook Lopez‘s upcoming free agency, among other topics.

International Notes: Thompson Twins, Micic, Brown, McCollum

May 25th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson may represent Jamaica in FIBA competitions and possibly the Summer Olympics, according to Daniel Blake of The Jamaica Observer (Twitter link). Blake states that they have begun the process of applying for citizenship, which they’re eligible to do because their father, Troy, is from Jamaica.

Amen, a first-team All-Defensive selection, became a full-time starter for the Rockets midway through the season and gained a reputation as one of the NBA’s most versatile and athletic players. Ausar overcame a health issue that cut short his rookie year and solidified a starting spot with a Pistons team that produced one of the largest single-season improvements in NBA history.

Blake adds (via Twitter) that Jamaica is making a serious upgrade to its basketball program, with Clippers guard Norman Powell already committed to playing in pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer. Blake states that other targets include Suns center Nick Richards, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Timberwolves forward Josh Minott.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Olympiacos in Greece is expressing interest in Suns point guard Vasilije Micic, per Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Phoenix holds an $8.1MM team option on Micic for next season, but that’s unlikely to be exercised because he only got into five games after being acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline.
Former NBA guard Lorenzo Brown may be looking to change teams next season with T.J. Shorts expected to join Panathinaikos, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Brown was disappointed with his role in his first season with the Greek powerhouse and wants to find a spot where he can play regularly. “I think I’ve proven myself in this league a bunch of times,” he said. “I just want to play, man, and finish strong. I’ll be 35 in August, but I still have a lot of game left. I can still dunk, still windmill—whatever you need me to do. I just want to play and compete. I think I was a little out of the loop this year. It was a little weird. My brothers fought for me all year. That brotherhood—that’s what matters most.”
Errick McCollum, currently with Fenerbahce in Turkey, told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops that he received NBA offers earlier in his career, but he opted for the security of playing overseas. The 37-year-old point guard is the older brother of the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum. “I had some opportunities. But the role wasn’t right,” he said. “Sometimes it was third point guard. Not many minutes, minimum contract. It just wasn’t right in my career. For other people, it may be good. But I’m a guy who wants to play. I want to have an impact. Be out there on the court making a difference.”

Pistons GM Trajan Langdon Talks Free Agents, Extensions, More

May 7th, 2025 at 9:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pistons veterans Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Paul Reed and Dennis Schröder will all be unrestricted free agents this summer. The additions of Beasley, Hardaway, Schröder and forward Tobias Harris; the growth of Detroit’s young core; and the hiring of new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff sparked a 30-win improvement between 2023/24 and 2024/25, and saw Detroit return to the playoffs for the first time in five years.

The Pistons gave the higher-seeded Knicks all they could handle in a hard-fought first round playoff series, but were ultimately defeated in six games and now face a summer full of possibilities.

Pistons team president Trajan Langdon seemed to be relatively open-minded about the aforementioned free agent quartet’s future in town during his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday, writes Omari Sankofa II Detroit Free Press.

“Maybe some of them don’t want to come back, maybe some of them get bigger offers elsewhere,” Langdon said. “It takes two to tango with our free agents and they have decisions to make. All of them were great for us. I think they’d all be great for us coming back here in terms of what they did for us and how they fit the roster that we have. I can’t give you an answer of which ones because again, it takes both sides to come together on a deal.”

Will the Pistons seek to upgrade the club’s roster around All-Star Cade Cunningham via trades? Langdon seemed to suggest that he would be receptive to trade proposals, but wasn’t looking to muck up his club’s developmental timeline after the first round playoff exit, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

“I’ve always said ‘stay patient’ and I’m not going to change in that regard,” Langdon said. “We’re going to listen to calls, we’re going to see opportunities. We’re always going to look at avenues to get better that we think make sense for us to improve. A big thing for us this summer is going to be to develop the guys we have – the young guys we have that are 19 to 22, 23 years old and have them continue to grow. If those guys take steps, we get better. That’s what we’ve focused on and putting people with those guys that can make them better. It was a pretty good formula this year, so we’ll look at everything out there.”

Here are a few more of Langdon’s notable comments from Wednesday’s press conference, via Sankofa and Langlois.

On the team’s massive single-season turnaround:

“After a couple days [to] reflect, hell of a season for us… I don’t know another way to put it. Surprising, gratifying. Guess it creates different expectations going into next year for us. We can see that both ways, positively and negatively. But I think there’s way more positives.”

On emphasizing offseason continuity with the club’s youth movement:

“All these guys will come back and that continuity with this, not only the roster but the coaching staff and his philosophy that this group has never had before… That will be a positive through the summer and through next season as well. The questions will be there, about what we do. Do we add another person or do we just build from within? Like I said before, we’ll look at all avenues and decide what the best avenue is for us.”

On wing Ausar Thompson‘s development in two abridged seasons:

“Ausar – it’s his second season and he had a shortened first season and a shortened second season because it didn’t start on time and he really didn’t have a summer, either, because of his blood clots. It’s exciting for us that he’ll have a full summer to train as a professional that he hasn’t had yet. To have the season he had without a full summer or training camp is incredible.”

On guard Jaden Ivey‘s possible rookie scale extension:

“He had an incredible first two months of the season and he helped this turnaround… I’m excited to see what his summer looks like and what he’s gonna look like coming back in the fall as well. He’s a guy that impacts the game on both ends of the floor and in-between and in transition. Adding him to the roster we have, I think, will create an even more explosive dynamic and something else that our coaches and players can use to help us win games and have even more success. I think he’s going to come back a better version than he was last to year.”

On Jalen Duren‘s midseason growth and his own potential extension:

“JD took a huge step after the first 25 games…. He was a different player the last 50, 60 games of the season. He got off to a slow start. We’re hoping we’re going to push him this summer as well and I think he’s willing to take that up to another level. If those guys take steps, we get better.”

Pistons Notes: Thompson, Confidence, Cunningham, Stewart

April 30th, 2025 at 10:53am CST by Dana Gauruder

Blood clotting issues ended Ausar Thompson‘s rookie season and delayed his sophomore campaign. However, the second-year wing emerged as a starter this season and played an integral role in the Pistons‘ 106-103 Game 5 victory over the Knicks on Tuesday. Thompson supplied 22 points, including a key late bucket, along with seven rebounds and two blocks as the Pistons staved off elimination.

Thompson was also the primary defender on Jalen Brunson, who was limited to 4-for-16 shooting and seven assists, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes.

“We did a great job of getting to our spots and executing the stuff we knew we could get to that created an advantage for us,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It all started with Ausar and his defense. He was phenomenal defensively tonight. Offensively obviously he came up with 22 points, but I think it started with his defense and a lot of credit should be given to him.”

We have more on the Pistons:

Many people thought Detroit couldn’t recover from a controversial Game 4 loss in which the team blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead and was victimized by an official’s no-call in the closing seconds. The Pistons came to Madison Square Garden more determined than ever, Bickerstaff said. “I’m not surprised,” he said, per Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois. “This is what they’ve always shown to be and this is what we expected from them tonight.”
Did Cade Cunningham offer a veiled guarantee of a Game 6 home victory on Thursday night? According to Jared Schwartz of the New York Post, Cunningham declared the series would return to New York for Game 7. “We’ll be back,” he said. Cunningham said the team thrives in hostile environments. Both of its wins in the series have come on the road. “It’s everything you dream of. Playing with a full arena, a bunch of people booing you, that’s everything you dream of,” he said.
The Pistons have been able to keep the Knicks under control despite the absence of their interior defensive stopper. Isaiah Stewart missed his fourth consecutive game due to right knee inflammation, as Sankofa relays. The Pistons have used Paul Reed off the bench in his absence with Jalen Duren getting the bulk of the minutes when he’s been able to avoid foul trouble.

And-Ones: Gambling, Doncic, Thompsons, DPOY, More

April 24th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

As part of their anonymous poll of 158 NBA players, the full results of which can be viewed here, Sam Amick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic got several interesting responses about the league’s gambling partnerships and the impact they’ve had.

Of The Athletic’s poll respondents, 46% felt the partnerships were bad for the NBA, while 34% said they were good — the remaining 20% were either undecided or were somewhere in the middle. The general consensus is that those partnerships have benefited the league financially but have increased the likelihood of players being harassed by fans.

As Amick and Robbins write in a separate story, players around the league also sounded off on February’s shocking Luka Doncic trade, questioning not only the Mavericks‘ decision to deal the perennial All-NBA first-teamer but also the timing of the move.

Some players who spoke to The Athletic acknowledged that the trade wouldn’t have looked quite so bad if not for the injury woes that tanked the Mavericks’ season, while others said it was too early to render final judgment. But the responses Amick and Robbins got strongly suggested that the only players fully on board with the deal were anonymous Lakers, including one respondent who said, “I think it (was a) phenomenal decision. So smart. Wise. I’m a Nico Harrison fan.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In an entertaining feature for ESPN.com, Michael C. Wright takes a closer look at the rapid rise of twin brothers Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, who have met their goal of making the playoffs for the first time this year, with the Rockets and Pistons, respectively. Now, they’re ready to take that goal one step further. “I want to see him in the Finals,” Amen told Wright. “That would be fire. But just one of us wins. I know who that’s going to be.” Ausar shares his brother’s goal, but disagrees with his prediction about which team would come out on top. “Man, we would whoop ’em,” Ausar said. “This year, when we played, when we had all of our players, we beat them.”
With the NBA set to announce its Defensive Player of the Year award winner on Thursday evening, Josh Robbins of The Athletic spoke to 13 head coaches and assistants around the league about who deserves the honor. Hawks guard Dyson Daniels and Thunder wing Luguentz Dort were the top vote-getters in Robbins’ poll — Dort isn’t among the three finalists for the award.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report looks ahead to the offseason and identifies under-the-radar teams that might make sense as destinations for 10 potential trade candidates around the NBA, ranging from stars like Kevin Durant and Trae Young to role players such as Marcus Smart and Daniel Gafford.

Knicks Notes: Hart, Anunoby, Thompson, Brunson, Towns

April 21st, 2025 at 1:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Josh Hart was largely a non-factor in the first half of Game 1 of the Knicks‘ first-round series vs. Detroit due to early foul trouble, but he played a major role in New York’s second-half comeback, including a 21-0 run that sealed the victory, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Hart went scoreless, missing his two field goal attempts, in seven first-half minutes, but he went 6-of-8 after intermission, finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes — the Knicks outscored the Pistons by 20 during his time on the court.

“I think it’s just trying to stay ready,” Hart said Sunday. “I think growing up, I was always taught to play the game until the last whistle. At Villanova, Coach [Jay] Wright really got that instilled in us that you can’t control everything, you’ve gotta let stuff go, but you’ve gotta continue to push, continue to fight until the last whistle. For me, that’s just how I’m wired. You can box me out for 46 minutes, but if it’s not a habit, those last two minutes of a game is where I’m gonna make an impact or get an offensive rebound or get a loose ball or something like that.

“Obviously the foul trouble was frustrating. I was yelling at [head coach Tom Thibodeau] to keep me in but obviously I was doing idiotic fouls. Thibs is always making sure you’re staying ready and locked into the game.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

As Chris Herring details for ESPN.com, Hart is one of the top rebounders in NBA history for his size, is known for his tenacity and hustle, is a skilled secondary play-maker, and shot a career-best 61.8% on twos during the 2024/25 season. Still, while Hart’s all-around contributions are undoubtedly valuable, the Knicks’ playoff hopes may hinge on how he fares from behind the arc — rival teams dare him to shoot, and his three-point percentages tend to fluctuate wildly. He has converted 34.2% of his career triples, including 33.3% in ’24/25.
If OG Anunoby continues to play like he did in Game 1, the Knicks have a real shot at making a deep playoff run, contends Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link). Anunoby, 27, re-signed with New York in free agency last offseason, inking a massive five-year, $212.5MM contract. The defensive stalwart recorded 23 points, seven rebounds, five steals and two blocks in 44 minutes in the opening contest.
Pistons second-year wing Ausar Thompson said “nothing” came to mind when asked to name the most difficult challenge of defending Jalen Brunson, but later said the star guard was good at “selling” fouls, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). Known for his excellent defense, Thompson committed five fouls in 23 minutes in Game 1.
Karl-Anthony Towns could become a franchise legend if the team has an impressive playoff showing, Vaccaro writes in another subscriber-only column. Towns is off to a good start after shining in his Knicks postseason debut, but he will have to continue to thrive on both ends for New York to have a chance at representing the East in the NBA Finals.

Pistons Notes: Bickerstaff, THJ, Thompson, Offseason, Cunningham

March 30th, 2025 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have become the first team in NBA history to triple their win total in back-to-back 82-game seasons. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is one of the league’s top candidates for Coach of the Year with his main competition being his successor with the Cavaliers, Kenny Atkinson.

After going 14-68 last season, Detroit swept a three-game homestand to reach the 42-win total despite the absence of star Cade Cunningham. That should bolster Bickerstaff’s candidacy, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic notes.

“The way we play is his style, brand of basketball and his attitude,” Tim Hardaway Jr. said. “He’s done an amazing job of giving guys that confidence, giving guys that ability to go out there and compete on both ends of the floor. No matter if you make a mistake here or there or multiple mistakes in a row, as long as you’re competing and moving on to the next play, that’s all he cares about.

“And when you have a coach like that, and a coach that also communicates to each one of his players like he does — goes up to each one of them before practice, after practice just to ask how your day is going — that goes a long way. We want to go to battle for him. We want to go to war for him, and I feel like that’s what makes him the Coach of the Year.”

We have more on the Pistons:

Ausar Thompson‘s rookie season ended abruptly due to blood clotting issues. In his second season, the 2023 lottery pick has emerged as a defensive stopper and steady contributor for the league’s most surprising club. Thompson told Grant Afseth of RG.org that physicality is the key to his defensive approach. “I think being physical off-ball,” Thompson said. “When they pass the ball — if they cut, hit ’em a little bit because then it’s gonna slow down the cut. They might try and talk to you. So yeah, just be physical with them, not let them be comfortable and slow ‘em down.”
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com doubts the front office will pursue an in-his-prime star this offseason to pair with Cunningham. Langlois anticipates the Pistons will be focused on ensuring there are enough solid veterans around Cunningham, since Malik Beasley and Hardaway will be free agents. Langlois also notes that Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson all have a chance to blossom into legitimate No. 2 options alongside Cunningham.
Cunningham missed his fourth straight game on Sunday due to a left calf contusion. Bickerstaff feels as though the point guard’s teammates have embraced the challenge of playing without him, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. “He’s earned so much of their respect in putting this team together and helping it evolve and grow …they’ve individually gone out and tried to be the best version of themselves,” he said.
Tobias Harris was a late scratch on Sunday, the team’s PR department tweets. He’s dealing with an Achilles injury and also missed Friday’s win over Cleveland.

Pistons Notes: Thompson, Stewart, Ivey, Bickerstaff

March 15th, 2025 at 6:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons‘ defense had an off night in Thursday’s loss to Washington, so it was odd that Ausar Thompson didn’t get more playing time, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. While Detroit was giving up 129 points to the worst team in the East, Thompson was limited to 19 minutes and saw just two seconds of action in the fourth quarter.

Patterson notes that Thompson was effective when he was on the court, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds, an assist and a block. He swatted away a three-point attempt by the Wizards’ 7’0″ rookie Alex Sarr.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff only took three questions after the loss and didn’t explain Thompson’s reduced playing time, Patterson adds. However, he did address it before Saturday’s game, telling reporters, “It was my decision down the stretch … nothing that he did. He’ll definitely get an opportunity to play more tonight.” (Twitter link from Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press)

There’s more from Detroit:

Following the embarrassing loss, several players talked about the need to stay focused every night, per Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. They understand that each game is important as they try to move into fourth place and secure home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. “Pretty much everybody (spoke up). We knew we didn’t do our job tonight. We knew we didn’t handle business, so everybody was disappointed,” Isaiah Stewart said. “I would just say it’s a lesson for us. We want to hang our hat on playing Detroit basketball every night and being consistent with that. We just didn’t do that tonight, and hopefully, we learn from that.”
In a separate story, Jaden Ivey talks to Davis about the collision in a New Year’s Day game that resulted in his broken fibula. Orlando’s Cole Anthony made contact with Ivey’s left leg while diving for the ball, effectively ending Ivey’s season. The Pistons announced on Thursday that the next update on Ivey’s condition will be four weeks away. “I’ve watched the clip; it’s just a basketball play,” Ivey said. “You are diving on the floor and playing hard for your team; I get it. I am not too over the situation of how I got hurt. But I am just taking things day by day.”
Pistons players are crediting Bickerstaff’s increased expectations for helping them quickly develop into a successful team, Patterson adds in another story for The Athletic. Bickerstaff was brought in to turn things around after a 14-win season. “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of changes, from front office to different personnel and lineups,” Jalen Duren said. “But I think overall, I want to give credit to J.B. and what he’s brought to the team in terms of a seriousness and an approach to the game, if that makes sense. He kind of keeps us on track and lets us know how, since day one, we’re not just out here to do this. We’re trying to make some noise, we’re trying to become a better team and he’s carried that all season. He’s the guy who’s set the tone for the culture.”