Tyrus' play at SF distressing, atrocious, and your choice

[theawakening]

Does last night's game tell us that Tyrus is truly raw and that we cannot shoehorn him any longer, or does it tell us that his future is at PF? Just trying to begin a discussion...

[Johnston797]

Bulls outscored the Knicks by 7 when he was in the game last night.

[Cliff Levingston]

He's still too raw to play at SF for extended periods of time. Plus it lessens his biggest asset: quickness. He has elite quickness and athleticism for the power forward position; not so much for the small forward position. Since he's not a gut who can impose his size on someone (yet), it just doesn't work.

Cliff Levingston still would like to see him work primarily from the high post (around the elbows) as a power forward. He'll eventually be dangerous from that position.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

He's not a SF.


He can play spot minutes there, but thats it.


I want to know who thought Tyrus guarding Stephon was a good idea? Great idea, have your shotblocker and rebounder guarding the guy at the three point line.

[DuckIII]

Anyone who ever thought this guy was anything other than a power forward needs to re-evaluate their scouting ability.

He's not a small forward. At all. He never has been and he never will be.

So, no, its not distressing to me that he wasn't productive as a small forward.

[suckfish]

I think Cliff is right in saying that he is still to raw and probably will never have SF skills, you can probably get away with it for small stretches depending on how you use him.

Last night when he was playing SF we had him and Gordon cutting along the baseline coming around off the two picks set by the bigs, normally this play is used with Hinrich on the ball and with Gordon and Deng passing each other on the baseline cutting off the picks for the jumpshot.

Anyway, why we were using Tyrus coming off the pick to shoot I just don't know. You might be able to get him cutting through the lane of a curl but generally defenses are just going to cut that lane off leaving him wide open for a jumpshot on the move.(Something Tyrus isn't good at.)

There was one time were Ty posted up Wallace and the defense both doubled down on Wallace, Ty just stood on the perimiter in stead of cutting. He can't do that, he has to make hard cuts to the basket.

[Ralphb07]

Yeah Tyrus was in at the 3 put it doesnt mean he needs to think he's a 3. What I mean by this is, he should've still played his game especially on the offensive side.

Last night was a perfect example of why Noc plays a lot. Tyrus is still very raw.

Defensely yeah he was at a dis advantage but not offensely.

He had the inbound TO the charge and the ill advised jump shot, thats not his game. Those were all crucial. Smith and Wallace played good again and with a healthy Noc we win.

[suckfish]

Yeah Tyrus was in at the 3 put it doesnt mean he needs to think he's a 3. What I mean by this is, he should've still played his game especially on the offensive side.

That seems about right.

Stick Ty at the high post with Gray/Wallace and Noah/Smith on the blocks/short corners then have the two guards playing on the perimeter. Ty at this moment in time seems most comfortable working from the high post for that jumpshot, entry pass/kickout, pick and roll or slash to the basket.

Putting him on the permiter or working him off screens isn't good, it kills the spacing as defenses just sag off.

[AirP.]

Last night... was our chance to play against one of the worst defensive frontcourts in the league and we, but more importantly Boylan didn't take advantage of it.

Now Tyrus Thomas at SF, 2 things stood out.
1. No respect for the jumper, so they played off him.
2. No respect from the refs.

Unless Tyrus got a lot of time at SF going against Deng in practice, he was no where prepaired to go against good defensive SFs from the wing.

The Goaltends, without him getting much time this year, much like earlier last year, the refs(who do watch tape) won't give him the benifit of a 50/50 call because they're just not use to someone like him getting those blocks, atleast 1 if not 2 of those goaltends were legal blocks... which erases 4 points right there.

Tyrus did look good as a big SF with Noah and Gray when they actually went and attacked the low post area, utilizing his size/leaping ability, this is about the only time currently when you can even consider using Tyrus at SF, when you're going big.

For as bad as Tyrus was, look at Nocioni also at SF.. sure he was sick so why does he take enough shots to miss 9 shots in 16 minutes? Point being... if you're sick, you don't just jack the ball up all game long.


If Boylan wants Tyrus to play SF some, he's going to have to have Tyrus shoot more from the outside to at least put the fear of taking the shot into the defender, I think we've seen time after time even horrible outside shooters who jacked up some bad shots, pump fake our guys and go right past them from the outside.

[Wingy]

SF, PF, special guest referee...whatever gets the kid more on court time is fine with me.

[BULLHITTER]

distressing and atrocious is quite far from reality.....i was at the game......

while he didn't shoot well, he again did some positve things, forced some things and looked like a young player. i thought the stretch of he, gray and noah in the game was interesting, effective (though it was the knicks) and i'd like to see more.

thomas has the foot quickness to guard on the perimeter 2's or 3's; it wasn't the worst thing in the world that he'd guard out on the perimeter, what i did think badly about was that on at least 2 occasions to my recollection he was matched against marbury and crawford in the post offensively and the pg was too slow to recognize it and capitalize. another glaring ommission was with the 3 guard lineup, sefolosha didn't see more time; crawford beat thabo badly on a streetball crossover, but in general crawford had a pretty good game.

this speaks to the averageness of the bulls pg play. the lack of a creative player in the backcourt really marginalizes the bulls front court players, which aren't (with the exception of wallace) as bad as many here tout.

a quality pg would do wonders for this team; even with the guards they'd retain.

[Eminjay7]

SF, PF, special guest referee...whatever gets the kid more on court time is fine with me.

Word!

[C3]

The closer to the basket Tyrus is, the better he plays. I would like to see him at PF, and spot minutes against weaker centers. I do not see a benefit in turning him into a small forward.

I do remember a comment by Tyrus before he was drafted, that he see's himself as a small forward. I wonder if he still does?

I also have to admit, Seeing Gray/Thomas/Noah all out there together lastnight, was my favorite stretch of the game.

[DASMACKDOWN]

Im not sure what to think sometimes. Coaches tell Tyrus to stay around the hoop but keep putting him in at SF.

Now I realize its because of 2 things. The coaches are desperately trying to fit him in the game and also trying to take advantage of his defensive abilities.

Now last game, Boylan had Tyrus strictly at SF. The thing that amazed me the most is, and even the Knick announcers were amazed to see Tyrus guarding Nate Robinson and Marbury. I actually thought it was a mistake but after I realized that it was strategy by Boylan. No one else on the team is capable of guarding those guys like that at that size.

But I dont think the problem was SF as much as others may think. Tyrus just didnt have it last night. It had nothing to do with playing SF. He didnt get any calls. NONE. He got fouled on about 3 of his fg attempts. Early in the game it just didnt seem like one of Tyrus's games.

I dont think it means all the much. Tyrus can have 25/15 at SF next game. It still doesnt make him a SF but his downfall last game didnt have nothing to do with his position but rather him just not playing his A game.

[Dieselbound&Down]

Lee matching up against Tyrus at the three should have been at worst a stalemate. However, with the ball not moving around well, Tyrus became a huge liability on offense (or, more accurately, BW and Tyrus as a combo became a liability and allowed for too many opportunities to sag off). The other issue is it allowed Lee to get more minutes on the floor instead of Jeffries or Q, two players who are less productive.

I think Tyrus would have looked better with Gray at center in the 4th than Wallace. Wallace was getting beat on defense anyway and Wallace at 5 and Tyrus at 3 just can't ever work.

[Shill]

He's not a SF.


He can play spot minutes there, but thats it.


I want to know who thought Tyrus guarding Stephon was a good idea? Great idea, have your shotblocker and rebounder guarding the guy at the three point line.

Were we separated at birth?

I had a towel in my mouth Jerry Tarkanian style when I watched Tyrus guarding Marbury and Nate Robinson out on the perimeter.

It was such a bad idea, plus we didn't even take advantage of it.

They should've had Tyrus on the low block. If he can post up Jared Jeffries, he can post up Stephon Marbury.

[BULLHITTER]

I had a towel in my mouth Jerry Tarkanian style when I watched Tyrus guarding Marbury and Nate Robinson out on the perimeter.

please note where that matchup helped the knicks offensively......

[Magilla_Gorilla]

-= original quote snipped =-





Were we separated at birth?

I had a towel in my mouth Jerry Tarkanian style when I watched Tyrus guarding Marbury and Nate Robinson out on the perimeter.

It was such a bad idea, plus we didn't even take advantage of it.

They should've had Tyrus on the low block. If he can post up Jared Jeffries, he can post up Stephon Marbury.

My same thoughts. That whole game was depressing. That Tyrus, Noah, Gray lineup was golden - why the hell didn't we try it in the 4th? Hell, take Noah out and put Smith in. Either way Boylan disappointed the hell out of me.

[Shill]

Im not sure what to think sometimes. Coaches tell Tyrus to stay around the hoop but keep putting him in at SF.

Exactly.

If you want Tyrus near the rim, don't platoon him at SF, or don't bring him in the game to incessantly set screens 20 feet away from the basket. Don't run sets the simply call for Tyrus to rotate the ball at the top of the key.

[Shill]

I had a towel in my mouth Jerry Tarkanian style when I watched Tyrus guarding Marbury and Nate Robinson out on the perimeter.

please note where that matchup helped the knicks offensively......

Tyrus is a very quick player, but he doesn't have the foot speed to stay in front of Marbury or Robinson. They blew past him on more than one occasion.

Also, you're taking him out of the paint. You're losing his rebounding and shot-blocking prowess.