emunney wrote:Let's look at those guys /100 possessions in their last year compared to Thybulle.
Carter 4.9 steals, .6 blocks
Thornwell 3.6 steals, 1.6 blocks
Bell 1.7 steals, 3.1 blocks
Harris 3.4 steals, .8 blocks
Thybulle 6.9 steals, 4.5 blocks
I don't think *anybody* expects a 1:1 transition for anybody in any category from college to pros. But look at it this way: Harris is a good defender and was 10th in steals last year. Jevon Carter is a 2.7% steal rate guy as a rookie. Bell for his career is 1.4 steals and 2.5 blocks /36. I don't think it's accurate to say there's nothing coming through there. My low end expectation would be ~ 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks/36 minutes. That's not as eye-popping as what he's doing in college obviously but he'd be alone in the NBA with those numbers.
Eh I should have been clearer. I do think that steal rates especially translate. Shotblocking from guards is tricky. Imo weakside shotblocking translates pretty well even if you're a guard but blocking jump shooters does not in the same way. Offensive players are just taller, more athletic and better at creating contact so you have to play more conservatively.
My point is that those guys struggle to impact the game defensively at the NBA level for various reasons. I guess the jury is still out on Carter but I specifically named him cause he's in a different stage of his career.
I think Thybulle is going to struggle with his shot. There have been plenty of players with better shooting numbers in college that have struggled in the NBA. Playmaking and ball handling are also quite lacking.
And defensively he will struggle with defending some 2's and 1's. On the flipside I wouldn't worry about defending 3's or 4's on the perimeter.
His dog mentality does help. Imo that has a big impact on keeping a defense engaged (energy and effort, Drink!) and may have a bigger impact on winning than anything else. But there are other players that have that to.
