Monty Williams is in awe of Pistons rookies Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser - "Arrange a marriage with my daughters"

During the Detroit Pistons' Summer League Game against the San Antonio Spurs, coach Monty Williams made a humorous comment on ESPN while praising rookies Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser.

“I’ve become a fan of Ausar and Sass. Their toughness, we saw it down the stretch. Those two guys just made play after play and played winning basketball, which is something that makes me want to take them home and arrange a marriage with my daughters.”

Through three games, Ausar Thompson is averaging 12.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.0 dimes (3.3 turnovers), 2.7 steals, and 2.3 blocks. The Pistons selected him fifth overall to be a do-it-all wing and he has done it all thus far.

Thompson's scoring efficiency (50.2% true shooting) and jumper (16.7% from deep) remain significant areas for growth, but Thompson is expected to get significant minutes under coach Williams next year. Thompson had 18 points and 14 rebounds vs the Spurs Friday.

During this year’s draft, Detroit traded their second-round pick (No. 31 overall) to move up to No. 25 and acquire Marcus Sasser’s draft rights in a multi-team deal.

After signing his rookie deal, Sasser joined the Pistons’ stacked backcourt, which includes Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Killian Hayes, Alec Burks, and recently acquired guards Joe Harris and Monte Morris.

“I think it’s a great group of guys,” Marcus Sasser said. “Real high IQ, high talented. I think we are very long, very fast. (We) can play fast, (and) very up and down. Really a lot of defensive minded guards, so I think we’ll be good on both sides of the ball.”

“I just really wanted to come here. I was trying to speak into existence,” he added. “I came in here for my workout and I did a good job and I kind of been knowing this staff. And that’s where I wanted to be, so I’m just blessed to be able to play for this team.”

The Detroit Pistons have been in a rebuilding phase, enduring four consecutive seasons with 23 wins or fewer since their last playoff appearance. However, they have amassed a promising core of young talent in Isaiah Stewart, Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Emoni Bates, Marcus Sasser, and Ausar Thompson.

Detroit Pistons hopeful Monty Williams will make them a playoff contender again

Last month, Monty Williams reached an agreement with Detroit to take over the franchise. Terms of the deal were not announced, but sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that Monty Williams agreed to a six-year, $78.5M contract. It is the largest coaching deal in NBA history.

"After spending some time with Monty, it's clear that he's found a unique balance between achieving victory at the highest level while at the same time nurturing a culture of growth, development and inspiration," Pistons owner Tom Gores said. "I'm beyond excited. This is a huge win for us."

Detroit, a three-time NBA champion, has earned a spot in the playoffs just twice in 14 years. The Pistons have not won a postseason game since 2008, when they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth straight time during a remarkable run that included winning the 2004 NBA title and falling a game short of repeating as champions.

They hope they will return to the title picture with Monty Williams as head coach and a promising core of young players, featuring rookies Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser.