David Thompson Gets Overlooked As A Leaper

[HomoSapien]

For most of us here, including me, David Thompson was way before our time. Although his talents are no secret, I feel like he gets overlooked as a leaper. In a lot of recent threads, people have mentioned MJ, Kobe, Carter, and Wade as the most athletic twos. I think it's worth taking a moment to appreciate Thompson's gifts. His athleticism would still stand out today, IMO.

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[HeartBreakKid]

I think in part it's because people try to overlay athleticism with general goodness. For what ever reason, people want to believe that the very best players are also the best run and jump athletes.

Carter's raw popularity and slam dunk theatrics saved him from being a bit underrated in those regards as well, though it's not uncommon for people to say Wade and Bryant are more athletic than him when they're really just more smart and skilled. (usually theyll say strength is the underrated factor, which is crazy cause Carter is as strong as a forward)

I would predict that 'strength' would be the reason why people would rate better known names over David Thompson as well. Need that rationalization for why he was not THAT dominant of a player.


As for the topic of leaping, yup....pretty far up there with the goat leapers. Don't think many would debate that.

[penbeast0]

Funny because I would say that's ALL he gets remembered for. That or the cocaine issues. He was actually quite a varied and talented scorer, the guy Michael Jordan says he copied his game after, though never impressive defensively like Jordan could be.

[70sFan]

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Here is a good video showing Thompson's skills and varied scoring repertoire. He was excellent shooter, so it's not thhat he relied on his athleticism strictly.

[Goudelock]

If I learned anything about Thompson as a scorer, it was that he was really good at making contested jumpers because he could just elevate over defenders. Here is my (unecessarily negative) scouting report from a few years ago.

To briefly describe his game, Thompson was strictly a scoring guard. He had very little in the way of playmaking skills, and his handle was mediocre at best. The majority of his points were scored via the contested jumpshots in the halfcourt, rather than drives, because he lacked the handle to maneuver past his man (unlike someone like Julius Erving). The only time that he was able to take advantage of his athleticism was in the open court or on putbacks, where his legendary leaping ability and athleticism was put to use. It's a testament to his great talent that he could have as good a FG% as he did, considering all of the tough shots he was forced to take. His defense was below average and he didn't seem to put a whole lot of effort into it.

[Samurai]

For most of us here, including me, David Thompson was way before our time. Although his talents are no secret, I feel like he gets overlooked as a leaper. In a lot of recent threads, people have mentioned MJ, Kobe, Carter, and Wade as the most athletic twos. I think it's worth taking a moment to appreciate Thompson's gifts. His athleticism would still stand out today, IMO.

Watch on YouTube

I am not sure what you mean by "overlooked". To me, the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the name David Thompson is "legendary leaper". Maybe your definition of "overlooked" is different but seeing Thompson fly though the air will be forever stamped in my brain.

[Statlanta]

Can a person nicknamed Skywalker be overlooked as a dunker?

[penbeast0]

For most of us here, including me, David Thompson was way before our time. Although his talents are no secret, I feel like he gets overlooked as a leaper. In a lot of recent threads, people have mentioned MJ, Kobe, Carter, and Wade as the most athletic twos. I think it's worth taking a moment to appreciate Thompson's gifts. His athleticism would still stand out today, IMO.

Thanks for making me feel even older. I remember him with Jim Valvano at NC State.

[DNice68]

Funny because I would say that's ALL he gets remembered for. That or the cocaine issues. He was actually quite a varied and talented scorer, the guy Michael Jordan says he copied his game after, though never impressive defensively like Jordan could be.

He is remembered for being a leaper, but Jordan’s other hero Marques Johnson doesn’t!

[youtube][/youtube]

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[youtube][/youtube]

Watch on YouTube

[Samurai]

Funny because I would say that's ALL he gets remembered for. That or the cocaine issues. He was actually quite a varied and talented scorer, the guy Michael Jordan says he copied his game after, though never impressive defensively like Jordan could be.

He is remembered for being a leaper, but Jordan’s other hero Marques Johnson doesn’t!

[youtube][/youtube]

Watch on YouTube

[youtube][/youtube]

Watch on YouTube

Totally agree that M.J. is more overlooked as a leaper than Skywalker. I remember watching M.J. at UCLA and my lasting impression of him was as a fundamentally solid player who did many things well but wasn't especially outstanding in any one area. I certainly don't remember M.J. as the high-flyer that DT (or Darrell Griffith, Larry Kenon, or Darnell Hillman) were. Maybe its because M.J. didn't have any slam dunk contest highlights; funny how impressions get made since he clearly was a leaper but is completely overlooked in that regard in my feeble memory.

[DNice68]

Funny because I would say that's ALL he gets remembered for. That or the cocaine issues. He was actually quite a varied and talented scorer, the guy Michael Jordan says he copied his game after, though never impressive defensively like Jordan could be.

He is remembered for being a leaper, but Jordan’s other hero Marques Johnson doesn’t!

[youtube][/youtube]

Watch on YouTube

[youtube][/youtube]

Watch on YouTube

Totally agree that M.J. is more overlooked as a leaper than Skywalker. I remember watching M.J. at UCLA and my lasting impression of him was as a fundamentally solid player who did many things well but wasn't especially outstanding in any one area. I certainly don't remember M.J. as the high-flyer that DT (or Darrell Griffith, Larry Kenon, or Darnell Hillman) were. Maybe its because M.J. didn't have any slam dunk contest highlights; funny how impressions get made since he clearly was a leaper but is completely overlooked in that regard in my feeble memory.

He relied on skill, more than his athleticism, but it was there!

[penbeast0]

I remember Marques being very athletic but more in terms of fluidity and coordination than highlight dunks.

[HomoSapien]

Funny because I would say that's ALL he gets remembered for.

It's certainly what he's remembered for when he's remembered, but I think he often gets forgotten altogether. This is just a thread to give him some love.

[NO-KG-AI]

I definitely forget him when I name the best leapers off the top of my head, and then when I remember some of his highlights, I feel stupid for forgetting, because the ease and the height at which he got up is insane. He really looked like his legs were spring loaded.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

I think in part it's because people try to overlay athleticism with general goodness. For what ever reason, people want to believe that the very best players are also the best run and jump athletes.

Carter's raw popularity and slam dunk theatrics saved him from being a bit underrated in those regards as well, though it's not uncommon for people to say Wade and Bryant are more athletic than him when they're really just more smart and skilled. (usually theyll say strength is the underrated factor, which is crazy cause Carter is as strong as a forward)

I would predict that 'strength' would be the reason why people would rate better known names over David Thompson as well. Need that rationalization for why he was not THAT dominant of a player.


As for the topic of leaping, yup....pretty far up there with the goat leapers. Don't think many would debate that.

Whaaaaaat?

David Thompson was an incredibly dominant player. Drugs/injuries cut his prime shorter, but he was absolutely a dominant player.

[penbeast0]

Whaaaaaat?

David Thompson was an incredibly dominant player. Drugs/injuries cut his prime shorter, but he was absolutely a dominant player.

Not sure I would call either Thompson or Carter an incredibly dominant player. Incredibly dominant scorer, absolutely, but don't see either being a guy whose in the MVP type conversations.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

Whaaaaaat?

David Thompson was an incredibly dominant player. Drugs/injuries cut his prime shorter, but he was absolutely a dominant player.

Not sure I would call either Thompson or Carter an incredibly dominant player. Incredibly dominant scorer, absolutely, but don't see either being a guy whose in the MVP type conversations.

Thompson made the All-NBA first team twice.

Not sure that you have to be in the MVP conversation to be considered a dominant player, but maybe we just have a different perspective on what dominant is.

[Bwelc679]

If I learned anything about Thompson as a scorer, it was that he was really good at making contested jumpers because he could just elevate over defenders. Here is my (unecessarily negative) scouting report from a few years ago.

To briefly describe his game, Thompson was strictly a scoring guard. He had very little in the way of playmaking skills, and his handle was mediocre at best. The majority of his points were scored via the contested jumpshots in the halfcourt, rather than drives, because he lacked the handle to maneuver past his man (unlike someone like Julius Erving). The only time that he was able to take advantage of his athleticism was in the open court or on putbacks, where his legendary leaping ability and athleticism was put to use. It's a testament to his great talent that he could have as good a FG% as he did, considering all of the tough shots he was forced to take. His defense was below average and he didn't seem to put a whole lot of effort into it.

I think I'm becoming infamous for bumping old threads, but as someone who gets lost in NBA player rabbit holes on the regular, it happens from time to time.
This time, I've been consuming as much David Thompson data, lore and media I can gather while waiting for the finals to start. That's what brought me to this piece of Internet history.

I felt like I had to respond to what you already agreed is an "unnecessarily negative" scouting report, because it's so blatantly wrong.

Thompson was far from "strictly a scoring guard". You started by saying he lacked the handle to maneuver past his defender "like Julius Erving" which is bizarre considering Dr.J was the one without a handle. Julius wasn't dribbling much and his length didn't help him as he lacked ball handling moves to shake defenders. He strictly used the first step which was incredible but not as fast as Thompsons. We should mention that dribbling rules and the ball of that era made it much more difficult to do any form of dribbling. This is why despite practicing his handle more than any one ever, Pistol Pete highlights still lool awkward because his hand has to be directly on top of the ball. They would both be much better ball handlers today with the evolution of the game, but Thompson absolutely had a handle and was better than Dr.J at using it to shake defenders.

You said his only time to show Thompson's elite athletic ability was in the open court? Did you watch any film of Thompson? He was always the first option in the half court offense and would face up from just inside the three, rip through, then highlight his otherworldly first step and blow past everyone to get to the rim. When it came to finishing, he had all the English, coordination and skill to get buckets on the occasions that he couldn't get a dunk. He also had great touch that he used for bank shots to go along with that signature one dribble pull-up unstoppable mid range jumper. His midrange jumper was similar to Jordan and Kobe with that high elevation.

He may not have been an elite passer but he was more than competent as a play maker with his 4.5 APG peak and always at least 3APG during his prime. He had some sneaky beautiful looks where he would find finishers after taking the double or triple team. He was a very unselfish player. Even if he wasn't dropping a ton of assists, he still was a playmaker in the half court with his ability to create his own looks. He didn't need to be set up to score.

The last part where you said he was a below average defender who didn't give much effort is absolutely ridiculous and is enough proof to show that you really didn't watch more than maybe 2-3 clips of Thompson on YouTube. I mean, really? Thompson was an excellent man to man defender who other than D.Wade is arguably the best shot blocking guard of all time. He would get so high on his contests and was very good at blocking without fouling which is rare for his size. Nobody was quicker than Thompson so he stayed in front of his man and to say he didn't give effort is a blatant lie. Thompson was a team first player who all of his teammates praise for his unselfish hard work on the court. He was only 6'4" playing on the perimeter yet he still would give you 5rpg and would fly in for offensive put backs (the most valuable rebound there is). With his awareness and shot blocking skills, he would provide another level of rim protection if he played in today's era that would make him such a valuable two way player.

I am far from an "expert" on anything but I can't help but think you just copied some anecdotes or watched a few clips and made up your mind on Thompson without actually looking into it. If you are ranking players by something like "three to five year peaks" then Thompson is a top 10 shooting guard of all time. Jordan, Logo, Kobe, Wade, SGA and Harden are the only guys I would say are clearly ahead of him. Then you have a bunch of guys all competing but Thompson could be seven (Yes, Logo and Harden could be considered point guards. SGA is called a PG but let's be real, he's a scoring guard).

I see Thompsons modern comp as Donovan Mitchell. Similar size and game. I believe Thompson would be a knock down three point shooter if he played in this era too but who knows? Thompson is an even better athlete then Spida. Two ballers under 6'5" who have scored 70 points in one game. Pretty special.

[penbeast0]

If I learned anything about Thompson as a scorer, it was that he was really good at making contested jumpers because he could just elevate over defenders. Here is my (unecessarily negative) scouting report from a few years ago.

To briefly describe his game, Thompson was strictly a scoring guard. He had very little in the way of playmaking skills, and his handle was mediocre at best. The majority of his points were scored via the contested jumpshots in the halfcourt, rather than drives, because he lacked the handle to maneuver past his man (unlike someone like Julius Erving). The only time that he was able to take advantage of his athleticism was in the open court or on putbacks, where his legendary leaping ability and athleticism was put to use. It's a testament to his great talent that he could have as good a FG% as he did, considering all of the tough shots he was forced to take. His defense was below average and he didn't seem to put a whole lot of effort into it.

I think I'm becoming infamous for bumping old threads, but as someone who gets lost in NBA player rabbit holes on the regular, it happens from time to time.
This time, I've been consuming as much David Thompson data, lore and media I can gather while waiting for the finals to start. That's what brought me to this piece of Internet history.

I felt like I had to respond to what you already agreed is an "unnecessarily negative" scouting report, because it's so blatantly wrong.

Thompson was far from "strictly a scoring guard". You started by saying he lacked the handle to maneuver past his defender "like Julius Erving" which is bizarre considering Dr.J was the one without a handle. Julius wasn't dribbling much and his length didn't help him as he lacked ball handling moves to shake defenders. He strictly used the first step which was incredible but not as fast as Thompsons. We should mention that dribbling rules and the ball of that era made it much more difficult to do any form of dribbling. This is why despite practicing his handle more than any one ever, Pistol Pete highlights still lool awkward because his hand has to be directly on top of the ball. They would both be much better ball handlers today with the evolution of the game, but Thompson absolutely had a handle and was better than Dr.J at using it to shake defenders.

You said his only time to show Thompson's elite athletic ability was in the open court? Did you watch any film of Thompson? He was always the first option in the half court offense and would face up from just inside the three, rip through, then highlight his otherworldly first step and blow past everyone to get to the rim. When it came to finishing, he had all the English, coordination and skill to get buckets on the occasions that he couldn't get a dunk. He also had great touch that he used for bank shots to go along with that signature one dribble pull-up unstoppable mid range jumper. His midrange jumper was similar to Jordan and Kobe with that high elevation.

He may not have been an elite passer but he was more than competent as a play maker with his 4.5 APG peak and always at least 3APG during his prime. He had some sneaky beautiful looks where he would find finishers after taking the double or triple team. He was a very unselfish player. Even if he wasn't dropping a ton of assists, he still was a playmaker in the half court with his ability to create his own looks. He didn't need to be set up to score.

The last part where you said he was a below average defender who didn't give much effort is absolutely ridiculous and is enough proof to show that you really didn't watch more than maybe 2-3 clips of Thompson on YouTube. I mean, really? Thompson was an excellent man to man defender who other than D.Wade is arguably the best shot blocking guard of all time. He would get so high on his contests and was very good at blocking without fouling which is rare for his size. Nobody was quicker than Thompson so he stayed in front of his man and to say he didn't give effort is a blatant lie. Thompson was a team first player who all of his teammates praise for his unselfish hard work on the court. He was only 6'4" playing on the perimeter yet he still would give you 5rpg and would fly in for offensive put backs (the most valuable rebound there is). With his awareness and shot blocking skills, he would provide another level of rim protection if he played in today's era that would make him such a valuable two way player.

I am far from an "expert" on anything but I can't help but think you just copied some anecdotes or watched a few clips and made up your mind on Thompson without actually looking into it. If you are ranking players by something like "three to five year peaks" then Thompson is a top 10 shooting guard of all time. Jordan, Logo, Kobe, Wade, SGA and Harden are the only guys I would say are clearly ahead of him. Then you have a bunch of guys all competing but Thompson could be seven (Yes, Logo and Harden could be considered point guards. SGA is called a PG but let's be real, he's a scoring guard).

I see Thompsons modern comp as Donovan Mitchell. Similar size and game. I believe Thompson would be a knock down three point shooter if he played in this era too but who knows? Thompson is an even better athlete then Spida. Two ballers under 6'5" who have scored 70 points in one game. Pretty special.

I have Thompson as significantly more athletic and more of a scorer than Mitchell. Thompson had that great athleticism and leaping to block shots but so did George Gervin, didn't make him a great defender. More an inconsistent one with some strong stretches and some bad ones. Before the drugs, I would say a better defender than Gervin who took a lot of possessions off, but people also remember the years where the cocaine was pushing him into even less focus on that end and he was an absolute sieve.

[kcktiny]

For most of us here, including me, David Thompson was way before our time.

For those of us that saw him play he was fun to watch. A 6-4 leaper, the best leaper most of us had ever seen up and to that point.

I remember debates back then about who was the more impressive dunker - D.T. or Dr. J. - both slashy but Thompson being able to do those incredible dunks yet being 2-3 inches shorter.

David Thompson was an incredibly dominant player.

This is absolutely true. After the ABA/NBA merger he was one of the true superstars in the league. Other than Erving he was the one ABA star we were all waiting to see play, because we had all heard or read about him but had never actually seen him play (no TV games for the ABA. no nightly highlights shows, and no internet back then).

And boy he did not disappoint.

Over the next 5 seasons post merger Thompson was a true superstar of the league, scored the 4th most points (only Gervin, Jabbar, and Erving scored more) with the 3rd best per game scoring average at 25.2 pts/g (only Gervin and Jabbar were better).

He was the one true superstar on one of the best teams in the league those 5 years, the Denver Nuggets.

because the ease and the height at which he got up is insane. He really looked like his legs were spring loaded.

We all thought that back then.

He was always the first option in the half court offense and would face up from just inside the three, rip through, then highlight his otherworldly first step and blow past everyone to get to the rim.

His leaping ability was insane but so was his first step. He had no problem getting to the basket against pretty much anyone.

Issel was a great scorer but opponents geared their defense to try to stop Thompson. And few could.

He also had great touch that he used for bank shots

Both he and Erving were very adept at this, using the glass on short jumpers.

The last part where you said he was a below average defender who didn't give much effort is absolutely ridiculous and is enough proof to show that you really didn't watch more than maybe 2-3 clips of Thompson on YouTube. I mean, really? Thompson was an excellent man to man defender

Players like Thompson and Erving - high flying and high scoring - today rarely get credit for being good defenders.

Nobody was quicker than Thompson

Which is why he was so devastating on offense. Again - could get past anyone.

I remember back in 1977-78 he had a 73 point game against the Pistons trying to wrestle the scoring title away from Gervin. We all thought that was insane.