Cade Cunningham stole the show in the Detroit Pistons’ 144-140 double-overtime win over the Washington Wizards. But someone else deserves the spotlight.

Cunningham had a career-high 52 points, along with 11 assists and zero turnovers, but another Pistons player had a career night.

Ausar Thompson notched his first-ever career triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, but if you look at his past games, his development into the Pistons’ X-factor is evident.

Thompson’s role is expanding

Now in his fourth NBA season, Thompson has embraced a bigger role as a playmaker and rebounder under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

In the previous games leading up to Thursday’s triple-double, he was already posting career-best averages of 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, highlighting his ability to impact winning beyond his perimeter shooting.

In his 43 minutes of action, Thompson was relentless on the glass, especially on offense, pulling down five of his 11 to give Detroit second-chance opportunities.

Not only that, but Thompson also dished out the assist on Duncan Robinson’s go-ahead corner three-pointer in the second overtime, which proved to be a game-changer.

Thompson’s playmaking was shown at an elite level in the capital. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has increasingly entrusted him with initiating the offense, allowing Cunningham to operate more off the ball and preserve his energy.

It was a key reason that Cunningham was able to bag his career-high 52 points on this night.

“He does everything on the court, connects the floor offensively, rebounds the ball, defends at the highest level you can find,” Cunningham said of Thompson after the game.

“We need that all-around game from him and that’s why he did a great job helping us pull out a tough win.”

Although the added responsibility has resulted in a slight increase in turnovers (2.6 per game this season), Thompson’s court vision and playmaking ability have opened up a new dimension to Detroit’s offense.

His shift from defensive specialist to playmaker is working wonders, and this triple-double is further proof.

He is a player who can now influence virtually every aspect of a game without needing to dominate possession.

However, what’s important is that Detroit is becoming a team that can win games under pressure; they have Cunningham in a good role to maximize his high-level skill set.

But they also have an assortment of supporting stars who can step up and make an impact, and that’s what championship teams need.