Pistons forward Ausar Thompson has been encouraged to shoot midrange jumpers and the stats back it up, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa. Among Thompson’s 36 attempts through the Pistons’ first six games, 17 were from the short midrange area.

“When he gets to his spot, it’s basically make-or-miss because nobody’s going to block it,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We need him to be aggressive offensively and make teams have to defend him. That’s the shot that he’s worked on and that’s the shot that we need him to take.”

Thompson, who signed a five-year, $155MM extension this summer, is averaging a career-high 55.8 percent from the field though his point average (9.7) is about the same as last season (9.9).

Here’s more from the Central Division:

• The Pistons will face the Sixers on Wednesday, a showdown between the Eastern Conference’s hottest teams. Detroit will be without reserve guard Isaiah Joe for a fifth straight game, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets. Joe is nursing a right hip contusion.
• The Cavaliers will look to avenge Monday’s five-point loss to Oklahoma City without two of their key wings. Peyton Watson will miss his second straight game on Wednesday due to hamstring tightness, while Jaylon Tyson will be sidelined by an ankle sprain, Danny Cunningham of Locked On Cavs tweets. Cleveland picked up Tyson’s fourth-year option a couple of weeks ago.
• Matas Buzelis is off to a rough start for the struggling Bulls, averaging 13 points per game. He’s shooting 40 percent overall and 29 percent from beyond the arc. Buzelis averaged 16.3 points last season, his second in the league. “I worked extremely hard this summer,” he said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “Sometimes you work hard and you think you’ll get the results. Right now, you got to really focus in on what you can control and what you can do out there.” Chicago exercised its $7.6MM, fourth-year option on Buzelis’ contract last month.