Bringing The Thunder: The JT Thor Thread

Liver_Pooty · Post #21 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 4:48 am

Mitch doesn't **** around when he says he's drafting BPA. Not sure this is the BPA and hate the fit, but whatever. He's gained my trust

Post #22 » by **Diop** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:28 am

Vanderbilt_Grad wrote:Thor jersey is a must have.

Was probably worth it just for this

Post #23 » by **fatlever** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:39 am

we finally got our very own bol bol to root for when we are down 30.

Post #24 » by **Diop** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:43 am

I can imagine a Thor chant would sound cool as well

Snidely FC · Post #25 » by **Snidely FC** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:48 am

yeah but can can he lift Mjøllnir?

Snidely FC · Post #26 » by **Snidely FC** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 12:10 pm

assumed he was just another too-thin center but this guy is something different especially in the open floor and defensive versatility out to the perimeter maybe a long tall 4; got a long way to go to add muscle and iq but I guess one factor in his surprise appearance at #15 on Pelton's draft ranking was he is still only 18 (till August)

Watch on YouTube

Post #27 » by **BigSlam** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 12:28 pm

Snidely FC wrote:yeah but can can he lift Mjøllnir?

Looking at how skinny he is he might struggle to lift this hammer:

JMAC3 · Post #28 » by **JMAC3** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 1:30 pm

JMAC3 wrote:Are we only talking about this guy this much because he is working out for us? No way we should be considering him at 11 over the other options.

Hated the pick at 11 when we brought him in, but I like taking a chance on him here. He reminds me a bit of Thon Maker, but we got him 27 picks later than Bucks did haha. Interested to see what position he ends up playing.

I see him as a stretch 5 that can protect the rim a bit, him and Kai are somewhat similar so hopefully one of them reaches their full potential.

MPM · Post #29 » by **MPM** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 1:35 pm

NBADraft Instant Analysis on Thor (B+):

"Thor is among this draft's best help-and-recover defenders. At nearly 6-10 with an enormous 7-3 wingspan, Thor can disrupt plays at the point of attack, rotate to protect the rim, and even block/alter 3-pointers like Mitchell Robinson. His defensive upside is truly special. Offensively, his run-and-dunk highlights are terrific – it's just the rest of his game that needs work. He is a poor ball handler who gives the ball away much too easily, and his 3-point stroke is still a ways away from becoming a threat. The fundamentals are solid, though, so if he can drop corner 3s with any kind of consistency, Thor's defensive versatility will shine."

MPM · Post #30 » by **MPM** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 2:24 pm

Slowly coming around to the idea of Thor this morning. I mean if Plumlee (and perhaps another short term vet) is a quality stopgap you can develop Thor and Kai behind and Thor and Kai sniff their potential, we might be moving toward a switchable rocket ship of a front court rotation (ideally, with a situational bigger defensive banger on the bench)

KembaWalker · Post #31 » by **KembaWalker** » Fri Jul 30, 2021 4:18 pm

cool that he's South Sudanese, John Grisham just had a book come out a couple months ago about a South Sudanese basketball prospect coming over and playing NCAA basketball (at NC Central no less). Decent, quick read though the play by play basketball parts were hilariously very clearly written by a guy that doesn't know a ton about basketball
doesn't look like Thor ever actually lived there so not totally applicable but still cool to me

JMAC3 · Post #32 » by **JMAC3** » Sat Jul 31, 2021 2:06 am

Doing more of a deep dive on this kid... it's somewhat of a mixed bag, but the upside is there at 37.

Looks like Auburn was using him mainly as a floor stretching PF and he barely was used in pick-n-roll or pop game. Looks comfortable shooting from all spots behind the three-point line and has the mechanics to become a knockdown corner three shooter.

Things I was impressed with...
Quick-release and great footwork on his shot.
Takes long strides when driving to the basket and has shown some more advanced Euro steps for his size.
Great at blocking jump shots on the perimeter.
Not great feet, but his hips are pretty flexible and his length and timing usually get him back in the play for a contest.
Shot 74% from free throw line and seemed to get more comfortable behind the arc as the season went along.
When he elevates on drives, his arms are so long that he can get full extension for one-handed dunks.

Things I was meh on that he needs to improve...
He is really left hand dominate when driving and finishing around the rim, must work on his right hand.
He took nearly 40% of his attempts behind the line, needs to work on rounding out rest of offense.
Needs to get stronger, can get bodied driving and Auburn never had him guard centers because they were too strong for him.

Overall I think he could develop into a solid Stretch 4 off the bench and eventually be able to play some minutes at the 5 too. I think a more athletic Gorgui Deng would be a success for him.

wilson115 · Post #33 » by **wilson115** » Sat Jul 31, 2021 5:35 am

Calling this a B for the potential and what it says about the FO buying into building around LaMelo. Liked some prospects better, but few this young. Got spoiled last year watching LaMelo humiliate entire NBA teams in transition, but we can't keep doing that without guys willing and able to force live-ball turnovers. And this kid looks like a decent bet to deliver on both counts.

About that name, I'm calling it: the Thornet. Let's go.

Post #34 » by **fatlever** » Sat Jul 31, 2021 5:59 am

Thornet haha

JMAC3 · Post #35 » by **JMAC3** » Sat Jul 31, 2021 4:04 pm

His real name is Jokhow Thor.

I kind of like the name Young Jok

SWedd523 · Post #36 » by **SWedd523** » Sat Jul 31, 2021 4:12 pm

JMAC3 wrote:His real name is Jokhow Thor.

I kind of like the name Young Jok

It's going downnnnn

Post #37 » by **JDR720** » Sat Jul 31, 2021 7:03 pm

He seems a lot like Al-Farouq Aminu.

SWedd523 · Post #38 » by **SWedd523** » Sat Jul 31, 2021 7:38 pm

Things I really like about Thor:

1. He's a lefty. Can never overstate how much better at literally everything left-handed people are.
2. Leaps off one foot offensively and two feet defensively. Ideal on both ends of the floor.
3. high Block+Steal rate speaks well to his instincts and natural feel for the game. It also gives me "good hands" vibes.
4. Switchable on defense. He seems to be able to guard the perimeter and non-bruisers down low, transition D, help side D, switches, etc. He has immense defensive impact potential.
5. Willingness to shoot and a jumper that is correctable.
6. Able to put the ball on the floor with both hands going downhill. Invaluable skill, especially for a big.

Things that make me go hmm:

1. He's stuck between positions. He's not anywhere near as "quick" or "explosive" as Kai and seems to play with heavier legs. That'd be a good thing if he was a 4/5, but I think Thor's skillset and mindset push him more towards the 4/3 and he's not a dominant enough athlete to consistently beat guys. That limits his upside unless he develops as a high post p&r guy.
2. Doesn't show much of an ability or willingness to pass.
3. Doesn't seem to be able to have run plays for him as a scoring threat. Don't think he'll ever be more than a 10ppg guy.
4. He should've put up better scoring numbers and seems okay being a role player. That's fine so long as he doesn't use it as an excuse to not reach his potential.

People talk up Johnathan Isaac due to his long bodied defensive potential. I think Thor can mirror a lot of what he brings and has the potential to be a 3/D big

SpearNMgicHelmt · Post #39 » by **SpearNMgicHelmt** » Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:01 pm

Is it a good sign that Thor went and got a teal tailored suit before his press conference to show some Hornets spirit, or is that a bad sign because he prioritized that over doing what the team wanted since he should have been there with Bouknight and Jones?

wilson115 · Post #40 » by **wilson115** » Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:35 pm

SpearNMgicHelmt wrote:Is it a good sign that Thor went and got a teal tailored suit before his press conference to show some Hornets spirit, or is that a bad sign because he prioritized that over doing what the team wanted since he should have been there with Bouknight and Jones?

Did he get another suit? He had on a teal one on draft night. Interesting coincidence.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/07/30/USAT/23afbaba-bda4-4046-8853-e3ec107266d5-00_--_Intro.jpg

EDIT: I was wrong, that's Mobley wearing one. But JT says the suit isn't a new one.

Grade The Pick