Jan 16, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) dribbles in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Detroit Pistons Players Excluded From NBA Rising Stars

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jan 28, 2025 3:54 PM ET

When the 2025 NBA Rising Stars action takes place next month, the Detroit Pistons won’t have a representative.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the sophomore and the rookies who will be in the player pool. The Pistons had two players who could’ve been viewed as potential candidates, but the organization comes up empty-handed in that sense.

The former first-round pick Ausar Thompson was likely excluded due to him missing a large chunk of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

At the start of the year, Thompson was not cleared to return to the court after seeing his rookie season get shut down early last year due to blood clots.

Thompson missed the first 18 games of the season. He made his debut on November 25 to face the Toronto Raptors. When he finally debuted for the year, Thompson had an uphill battle getting back into the full swing of things. For a while, he played with restricted minutes.

In his first 24 games of the season, Thompson has been averaging eight points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. His three-point shot is still a work in progress, but he’s been averaging 50 percent from the field overall.

Thompson remains one of the NBA’s top wing defenders and has often flashed elite athleticism as he develops in year two.

Along with Thompson, Detroit’s rookie forward Ron Holland could miss the opportunity to participate in the tournament.

After becoming a top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Holland has appeared in 46 games. Averaging 16 minutes off the bench, the rookie has averaged six points on 47 percent shooting from the field. He’s also been coming down with three rebounds and snatching one assist per game.

The sophomore pool consists of Bilal Coulibaly, Gradey Dick, Keyonte George, Scoot Henderson, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jaime Jaquez, Dereck Lively, Brandon Miller, Amen Thompson, Cason Wallace, and Victor Wembanyama.

The 2025 Castrol Rising Stars ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/X1zpomdES8
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 28, 2025

The rookie pool includes Bub Carrington, Stephon Castle, Tristan da Silva, Zach Edey, Dalton Knecht, Jared McCain, Yves Missi, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, and Jaylen Wells.

With a few names dealing with setbacks, Holland and Thompson could gain some interest as alternates. For now, they are not expected to participate.