sidney lanier wrote:DingleJerry wrote:
The only NBA skill he has at this point is being 7'1. that should be useful as a 5 and for rim protection, which usually comes at the 5 because the other spots are on the wing.
I have seen no ball skills whatsoever and no coordination whatsoever. He has no quick twitch lateral quickness. He couldn't dribble with anyone near him and struggles to even catch the ball. I don't know what you're watching, sorry.
I'd make him one to nine to beat anyone on this board in a three-point-shooting contest. I think he's viable now as a park-in-the-corner catch-and-shoot stretch four along the lines of Kevin Love. He'll never have nifty moves, but he can shoot standing still, which in today's NBA can sometimes be enough.
On defense he does try to box out and sometimes succeeds. His rebounding is improving, and he'll block a shot now and then.
Thon is an odd mix of latent talents. Maybe he'll turn into Manute Bol and that's it. Maybe he'll be a Joe Smith-type midrange jump shooter, with a shot nobody can block. Maybe he'll always suck the way he sucks now.
I remain optimistic.
I'm optimistic too that if he can get consistent on the 3 pt shot that he can be a contributor, he's not dead yet to me. But why would you have him as a stretch 4 instead of stretch 5? Just to give him an excuse for not being able to rebound? How's he going to be able to guard modern 4s? The only 4s he'd have a shot at are the Ryan Andersons and Ilyasova type who are stationary. Most aren't like that anymore, they're basically wings.
so, to be a 4 on the Bucks who we also say Giannis shouldn't be the 5 regularly. We'd have to have a 5 out there (Henson), Giannis at 3, and thon at 4 huh. Just imagine how that would work together on O, horrible.
Long story short, the reason he was drafted is to be a stretch 5 to pair with Giannis so that the lane is open for Giannis. If we also need a 5 out there it defeats the point. You'd be miles ahead to play a 5, have Giannis at 4, and have a normal wing out there at the 3. If Thon can't rebound and protect the rim then you should just play a wing, that's the bottom line. That said, if the 3 ball becomes consistent he has a role and at least should be a contributor somehow rather than about the biggest negative in the NBA like he is now.
Also, I'd be confident with one month notice I'd beat him at a 3 pt contest, haha.
Resident Lillard truther since 2015.