The Detroit Pistons’ struggles at the three-point line came to the fore in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
A former NBA champion has now blasted Ausar Thompson for his failure to contribute from beyond the arc.
Former NBA Champion Hits Out at Ausar Thompson for Lack of Three-Point Shooting
Channing Frye, who won the NBA Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, did not hold back in his criticism of Thompson on the “Road Trippin” podcast on Friday. He claimed that the 6-foot-7 guard seriously needs to work on his jump shot during the off-season.
Frye also compared Thompson to a cornerback, an exclusively defensive position in American football.
“Go shoot a fu**ing jumper this summer please, Lord. Shoot the ball, just shoot 100 shots a day. Give me something offensively. If he was a cornerback, he’d be in the hall of fame. He has to learn how to play offense. Their spacing is gross, their spacing grosses me out as a shooter, a guy that comes from Phoenix and Cleveland. There is just no room for anyone to go anywhere,” he said.
Channing Frye GOES OFF on Ausar Thompson 😳
“Hey guess what? Go shoot a fu*king jumper this summer please, Lord. Shoot the ball, just shoot 100 shots a day. Give me something offensively Lord have mercy. If he was a cornerback he’d be in the hall of fame. He has to learn how to… pic.twitter.com/UQxFgdM2nr
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 15, 2026
The criticism comes amid Thompson’s struggles during the postseason, where he has yet to make a three-pointer. The 23-year-old is averaging 8.3 points on 51.2% shooting in 31.2 minutes per game so far during the postseason.
Thompson did start the Cavaliers series on the front foot, scoring 11 points in Game 1 and 10 in Game 2.
During the regular season, Thompson averaged 25.0% from beyond the arc. His career three-point percentage is 20.4%, which he will look to improve during the offseason. The NBA three-point percentage average for shooting guards during the regular season was 36.3%, per StatsMuse.
According to Basketball Reference, Thompson has attempted 283 of his 661 shots this season at the rim and 271 in the 3-10 ft. distance. Three-pointers make up for only 28 of his attempted shots. So three-point shooting is clearly an area he struggles with.
The Pistons have struggled with three-pointers as a whole this offseason, although Duncan Robinson remains one of the league’s elite three-point shooters. He is averaging 41.4% from the three-point line this season.
Robinson missed Game 5 due to injury, and his absence was sorely felt in the Pistons offense. As the Pistons prepare for tonight’s Game 6 (tip-off at 7 p.m. ET), they know they must improve their three-point shooting to extend the series to Game 7.
