Tashawn Thomas

[DenverSooner]

No, the comment was based on Thomas' performance in conference, on the road. His current road conference stats back that up...

6pts/gm, 6reb/gm, 32FG% and three TOTAL free throws attempted...while avg 30min/gm.

He didn't say based on his performance. He said he isn't ready for Big Time conference play on the road. He played in a big time conference last season. He played in a high mid major conference the year before that. He is a good player. It is simple to say he had a bad game without the mean spirited comments.

Unfortunately a huge percentage of sports fans feel it is appropriate to say these type of things. I disagree.

 

[AdaSooner]

No, the comment was based on Thomas' performance in conference, on the road. His current road conference stats back that up...

6pts/gm, 6reb/gm, 32FG% and three TOTAL free throws attempted...while avg 30min/gm.

I know you didn't start the debate about road games, but I think it's unfair to gauge a player's performance by road games only. I'm not going to take the time to compare the home and away stats of everyone on our roster, but I'd dare say you or no one else can name many players who perform as well or better on the road than at home.

TaShawn has averaged 11.66 ppg and 6 boards in conference play so far. That's not bad, and IMHO, his best is still ahead.

 

[campbest]

He didn't say based on his performance. He said he isn't ready for Big Time conference play on the road. He played in a big time conference last season. He played in a high mid major conference the year before that. He is a good player. It is simple to say he had a bad game without the mean spirited comments.

Noted - the 8th ranked conference in 2013-14 and 11th ranked in 2012-2013 are now "big time".

 

[DenverSooner]

Noted - the 8th ranked conference in 2013-14 and 11th ranked in 2012-2013 are now "big time".

The American had the National Champion last season so I would say it is/was pretty good. Is the bottom of it worse than some of the other majors? Sure but it was not a weak conference.

I didn't say his prior conference (before the American) was big time, I said it was high mid major and it was. There are 32 conferences plus an independent. 11th would put you pretty high among mid majors.

Maybe we should all just bash players. That will certainly help. A festering negative attitude is always critical to success. Potential recruits can read OU fans say horrible things and decide to play somewhere else. Players can read this or hear about and get down on themselves. It will be great. OU can play like they did with Capel as the coach.

 

[MercedeSooner]

Right here. The guy had a bad game. In fact, he had his worst game of the season. However, after every loss there are OU fans that just go after a player in a mean spirited manner.

Why not just say Thomas had a bad game rather than he is not ready for big time conference play?

Thomas is a really good player. He makes OU a better team.

In my opinion the real problem is inconsistent offensive production from the bench. OU got 7 from its bench. KU got 31.

Way to go sunshine and rainbows. This is destroying the guy when I've been one of his biggest backers and saying the offense had to run through him ?

The proof is in his play that he hasn't been ready for hostile environments in Big 12 play - Way to read what you want to see as opposed to comprehending what was written. Explain to me how not being ready is the same as not being able to compete.

I said he hasn't been ready, this level of competition is higher then he's faced in the past and he has to step up his game if we want a shot to win these games on the road. If that's destroying a guy then sorry maybe 5th grade middle school ball is more up your alley.

 

[skyvue]

Way to go sunshine and rainbows. This is destroying the guy when I've been one of his biggest backers and saying the offense had to run through him ?

The proof is in his play that he hasn't been ready for hostile environments in Big 12 play - Way to read what you want to see as opposed to comprehending what was written. Explain to me how not being ready is the same as not being able to compete.

I said he hasn't been ready, this level of competition is higher then he's faced in the past and he has to step up his game if we want a shot to win these games on the road. If that's destroying a guy then sorry maybe 5th grade middle school ball is more up your alley.

You also said TT "plays like a 40 year old man on the street." One might fairly view that as an over-the-top critique.

TT has had two bad road games in conference and one good one, but the latter somehow barely came up in the above discussion (one poster -- and it wasn't Mercedes -- mentioned it). All of his home games have been solid to terrific.

I'm greedy, I want him to be great in all of our games, but that's not going to happen with many players. So far he's 4-for-6.

 

[MercedeSooner]

You also said TT "plays like a 40 year old man on the street." One might fairly view that as an over-the-top critique.

It was meant as a compliment in regards to his style of play - I actually heard it from Gottlieb on the Sports Animal last week (who used it as a compliment on Thomas) when he was critiquing our team.

Nothing flashy, not overly athletic at that stage but a crafty player who can find ways to score.

 

[skyvue]

It was meant as a compliment in regards to his style of play - I actually heard it from Gottlieb on the Sports Animal last week (who used it as a compliment on Thomas) when he was critiquing our team.

Nothing flashy, not overly athletic at that stage but a crafty player who can find ways to score.

i can't help but wonder if Thomas would take it as a compliment to be compared to a 40-year-old street-baller -- I obviously didn't take it that way -- but I'll take your word for it.

 

[campbest]

"Old man game" is a compliment on any street court.

 

[skyvue]

"Old man game" is a compliment on any street court.

Fair enough. I'd never heard it before (I don't play street ball), and in context, it sure didn't sound positive, given that Mercedes had criticized Thomas in his several other posts in the thread.

 

[stormspencer]

"Old man game" is a compliment on any street court.

Gosh....I thought everyone knew that. George Niang for Iowa State probably gets that "old man game" or "rec league game" comment about him more than anyone...and that guy is a baller.

I think some folks on this thread are way too sensitive and feel like you should rarely criticize players...even if it is warranted. I guess there is this idea that you're somehow not being a good fan or being supportive if you criticize...yet nothing could be further from the truth. It makes me think that some posters have never had a coach get in their face when playing a sport. It happened to me many times and I learned to deal with it because it made me a better player. My guess would be that our players probably deal with it ok as well. We all want this team to reach their potential and win as much as possible. Now saying a player "sucks" is certainly over the top and not needed, but pointing out that a player is stinking it up or is playing soft, careless etc. is acceptable if the facts/stats back it up.

To be candid, I pretty much said the same thing as Mercedes did within the same thread. I probably should have said that TT has shown the tendency to be soft on the road in conference play. Unfortunately, our road games are where we need him to be his toughest. While at home, we can probably get away with him not playing his best because of home court and others around him to pick up the slack....just my .02.

 

[skyvue]

Gosh....I thought everyone knew that.

I trust I'm not the only one who didn't, but who knows, perhaps I was.

I still say it's awfully early to be coming down too hard on Thomas regarding conference road games. He's had two bad outings on the road and one good one, which has been all but ignored here. I'll go on record now as predicting he'll have more strong conference road games than bad ones (double digit points, more than five rebounds) before it's all said and done.

 

[stormspencer]

I trust I'm not the only one who didn't, but who knows, perhaps I was.

I still say it's awfully early to be coming down too hard on Thomas regarding conference road games. He's had two bad outings on the road and one good one, which has been all but ignored here. I'll go on record now as predicting he'll have more strong conference road games than bad ones (double digit points, more than five rebounds) before it's all said and done.

I hope you're right Skyvue because we are going to need it from him in this conference.

 

[skyvue]

I hope you're right Skyvue because we are going to need it from him in this conference.

(I hope I'm right, too!)

 

[MercedeSooner]

I trust I'm not the only one who didn't, but who knows, perhaps I was.

I still say it's awfully early to be coming down too hard on Thomas regarding conference road games. He's had two bad outings on the road and one good one, which has been all but ignored here. I'll go on record now as predicting he'll have more strong conference road games than bad ones (double digit points, more than five rebounds) before it's all said and done.

I think he will also and I bet these last 2 games were big wake up calls for him. I expect a lot from him because firstly he's a senior and second has a versatile enough game - he just needs to get his mindset right when coming out in these kinds of games where we need him more then any other player.

He never once went at the body of those KU guys, it could have been a totally different game if he went in strong and at the least got a foul call here or there. Alexander shies away from contact from what I've seen but we let him sit back there and roam and he continued to gain more confidence as the game went on.

Over and over we are becoming victims of huge runs and poor execution down the stretches of games because we continually lose focus and play 2 pass perimeter contested 3 ball. He has the ability to play inside and out and actually allow us to set up a semblance of an offense in the half court. How many times down the stretch did we do that same pick and roll with Buddy at the 3 pt line where Kansas knew he was going to shoot no matter what and he threw up a contested 3 that had very little chance to go in ? You just can't win tight games like that.

 

[campbest]

I trust I'm not the only one who didn't, but who knows, perhaps I was.

I still say it's awfully early to be coming down too hard on Thomas regarding conference road games. He's had two bad outings on the road and one good one, which has been all but ignored here. I'll go on record now as predicting he'll have more strong conference road games than bad ones (double digit points, more than five rebounds) before it's all said and done.

I think he will too...whether that be from elevating his game or the fact we've played 3 of our 4 hardest road games already.

 

[OU84]

I must be one old lady because the statement "plays like a 40 year old man on the street" sounds pejorative to me.

Nevertheless, throughout the game I was thinking "man, if Thomas was on tonight we'd pull out the win."

Last night's game was exciting and then somewhat disappointing at the end. So close, yet so far away. This team needs to learn to finish!

 

[chuckb]

IMO, Thomas tends to play a little soft. He tends to avoid contact with other players as though they're carrying communicable diseases. He's got ball skills that most guys his size don't have but he prefers to play out away from the paint where he's not going to draw contact.

Thomas and Cliff Alexander basically have the same body. Thomas is listed at 6'8" & 242 while Alexander is listed at 6'8" & 240. Last night Alexander played 23 minutes and Thomas played 25. Alexander had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Thomas had 4 points and 4 rebounds. 4 rebounds for a guy his size is ridiculous. We cannot win, especially against good teams, if Thomas only has 4 boards.

Alexander killed him last night and, for good measure, his weakness with the ball caused him to turn the ball over 6 times. He must get better, stronger, more aggressive, quickly.

 

[BCSooners]

IMO, Thomas tends to play a little soft. He tends to avoid contact with other players as though they're carrying communicable diseases. He's got ball skills that most guys his size don't have but he prefers to play out away from the paint where he's not going to draw contact.

Thomas and Cliff Alexander basically have the same body. Thomas is listed at 6'8" & 242 while Alexander is listed at 6'8" & 240. Last night Alexander played 23 minutes and Thomas played 25. Alexander had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Thomas had 4 points and 4 rebounds. 4 rebounds for a guy his size is ridiculous. We cannot win, especially against good teams, if Thomas only has 4 boards.

Alexander killed him last night and, for good measure, his weakness with the ball caused him to turn the ball over 6 times. He must get better, stronger, more aggressive, quickly.

I completely agree that Thomas should have bettered Alexander the other night, but Alexander has elite athleticism for his size which is why he's potential lottery. Another thing is that the one time Thomas even slightly went in to Alexander, Alexander flopped all the way to the baseline and Thomas was called for a charge in a crucial situation.