What happened to Ausar Thompson? Latest injury update as Pistons rookie's ROY candidacy takes nosedive

The Detroit Pistons' season has been filled with one bad news item after another, and the recent update regarding Ausar Thompson adds another one to the pile. The rookie will miss the remainder of the season to receive treatment for a blood clot, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Thompson suited up for all of the Pistons' first 63 games before missing his first on March 11 against the Charlotte Hornets.

On March 9 against the Dallas Mavericks, Thompson exited the game after only 11 minutes because of illness, and he has not suited up since.

In the 63 games, Thompson averaged 25.1 minutes of playing time, scoring 8.8 points per game on 48.3% shooting. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds and displayed a great defensive mindset, averaging 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks.

However, his 3-point shooting was a glaring weakness as he made only 21 of the 113 shots that he attempted from behind the arc.

Ausar Thompson joins teammate Isaiah Stewart (hamstring) on the list of Pistons who will miss the rest of the season. Including their matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Detroit (12-56) still has 14 games left on the docket but has already been eliminated from playoff contention.

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Where does Ausar Thompson stand in the race for Rookie of the Year

Ausar Thompson's rookie season was not among the strongest ones this year. Not only was he on a team that struggled to win, but he also failed to make a significant impact on offense.

Couple his and his team's struggles with the fact that Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are having monster rookie years, then it was clear that he wasn't winning the Rookie of the Year award.

However, it was not all bad for Thompson, for several weeks at the beginning of the season, he was ranked behind Chet and Wemby on the NBA's Rookie Ladder. He eventually faded from the top five as Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dereck Lively II and Brandin Podziemski overtook him.

Ausar Thompson's rookie season could have gone better, but it was not all a waste as he showed that he has the potential to be a reliable NBA defender.