Al Thornton

[jflipclip]

I'm not sure you can say he's reached his potential, but you pretty much see what type of player he's going to be. He's a versatile forward who can score everywhere, but likes to work around the rim. That being said, it seems like he needs the ball to show any type of contribution since he lacks any playmaking abilities (well, almost no one on our team can actually pass that well..) and can struggle on the defensive side. He also lacks leadership skills and isn't the All-Star in the making that I would've liked to see. Granted, this is his first year starting, but something about him worries/bothers me. Sometimes he forces difficult shots instead of looking for an easy one. And when he does find an easy one, he makes it difficult.

To be honest, I would've preferred Maggette over Thornton-- only problem was Maggz couldn't screw his head together.

The initial thought to most Clipper fans when we drafted Thornton was for him to replace Maggette and to be our offensive powerhouse. Now, I'm not sure where he fits. Obviously he'll still be a scorer, but as a forward I'd like someone with some defensive intensity or any other solid contributing stat since we have so many other guys who can score. I'm not sure where Baron falls under all this either, but to me, the puzzling issue is Thornton.

So, how do you guys vision Thornton now? Is he as good like you thought him out to be, or are you somewhat disappointed? How do you think he'll fit in this team's future?

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[mj_shoefanatic]

Honestly, I wish we would have selected Thad Young instead of Thornton.

[loflin3hree5ive]

Honestly, I wish we would have selected Rodney Stuckey instead of Thornton.

Fixed.

Thad Young was already off the board at #14 when the Clippers drafted Thornton. Philly picked him two spots ahead of us I believe.

Getting Thornton at 14 was great value but he's just not a good compliment to Baron/EJ/Zach/Kaman. I wouldn't be surprised if contenders start inquiring about Al to be a sparkplug off their bench.

[mkwest]

I think the potential is still there, but it's up to him if he will tap into it. He is still inconsistent and still settles for the jumpshots even though he would be more effective taking it to the rack, and mixing that with jumpers if his shot is falling. I feel that Maggette is still the better player right now, the difference is Corey has a bigger ego, bigger contract and more injury concerns.

I do think that he and the team could benefit bringing in a defensive 3 to start the game and have Al come off the bench. I'd even consider starting Novak over him (even though he doesn't play defense). At full strength we have the offensive firepower in the starting five, so he could get lost in the huddle with all of the other players who will be looking to score. We could give a lot of teams trouble if we could bring him, Kaman and Collins off the bench.

[boogizking]

I don't think Al Thornton will ever be an All-Star, he's developing way too slow. He hardly looks like has improved since last year besides the consistent minutes he's receiving. Like people have been saying, Al takes poor quality shots, plays passive defense, and most importantly cannot create his own shot off the dribble. This is different than his ability to take it to the rack because obviously he's able to do that very well. Al should stick his strengths and not force the issue, much like a Trevor Ariza.

[loflin3hree5ive]

It's not Al's shot selections so much that bothers me. It's his inability to pass or rebound... two of the three main aspects of basketball.

[madmaxmedia]

He hasn't turned out bad for his draft position. Not great, but not bad at all.

I see him more as a great bench guy on a good to great team, rather than a frontline scorer on a good team. For example, put this guy on the Lakers and I guarantee he'd be a significant contributor. But lean on him to be your number 1 or number 2 scorer, and things get a little dicier.

I really love his effort and hustle. He has good athleticism, but doesn't have the body control of the better SF's of the league. If he was more agile he could be Dominique Wilkins, instead he sometimes seems more like a tall Doug Christie (which is still not a bad thing.) Again, it just depends on the role you're relying on him for.

[PlinkingPanda]

Al must be like.. a Clipper god or something. So far in his 1 1/2 seasons with us. He's only missed 3 games. You guys should be bowing down to him. The Clipper curse isn't affecting this monster.

[mj_shoefanatic]

That's about the only thing going right for Mr. Inconsistent.

[bbsee1]

I'm not really worried about his offense. It's his rebounding that bothers me. He's only had just 1 game of double-digit rebounding so far this season which was the 2nd game of the season where he had 11 against Denver. I know that stats aren't everything but a player that athletic with a 6"8 height should have a little bit more double-digit rebounding games.