What happened: Ausar Thompson converted a 360 spinning layup during Detroit's Oct. 20 win. He finished the opener with a double-double.

Why it matters: Detroit locked Thompson in as a long-term core piece with a 5-year, $155M extension in September. Two-way production on opening night showed an early return on that commitment.

What to watch: Detroit continues the opening week with Thompson anchoring the wing rotation. His finishing inside bears watching as a measure of a scoring jump.