TaShawn's nba chances ?

[catoosanumber22]

Just wondering if anyone on the board believes TaShawn could land on an opening day roster, much less be a part of an NBA team's nightly rotation ? I have a hard time saying yes, Osby is a better player in my opinion and he hasn't been able to stick ( still early in his pro career though ) . No doubt he could play in any overseas league and be an elite level player but I am just tired of seeing virtually no Sooners in the league year after year.

 

[jaymOU]

All about opportunities. He is probably better than quite a few players in the league, but finding a fit is important. Could he be a Big Baby Davis or a Brandon Bass? Maybe, I think both of those guys were probably better in college, but getting a chance is a big part of it. Osby is better, but still hasn't got a chance. Heck, I though Ace McGhee was a lock to be on an NBA roster - and in my opinion - was better than both Thomas or Osby, and he never made it either. If you are not a superstar, you have to be really special and especially lucky to stick on a roster in the NBA.

 

[WTSooner]

Slim to none, imo.

 

[sperry]

Yeah. He had issues with getting his shot blocked in college. It'd be a disaster in the pros. He doesn't have the jump shot to make it in the pros, as he'd have to really stretch the floor with his lack of size and athleticism.

 

[Zimwillett]

Yeah. He had issues with getting his shot blocked in college. It'd be a disaster in the pros. He doesn't have the jump shot to make it in the pros, as he'd have to really stretch the floor with his lack of size and athleticism.

This. I think "below the rim" bigs like Thomas need some combination of exceptional strength and offensive skill to make it in the NBA (see e.g. Zach Randolph). I think Thomas had enough of both to make him a very good college player, but he'd get eaten alive in the NBA.

And, of course, this says nothing of his ability to defend NBA level bigs. Again, Thomas was an adequate post defender in college, but a lot of his defects were covered by the ability to "pack the paint" in the college game. He'd really struggle in 1 on 1 D vs. NBA level posts.

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see Thomas having any real shot at an NBA career.

 

[vbdad]

He should make money overseas. He isn't big enough or explosive enough to be a 4 in the league. He isn't athletic enough to play on the wing.

 

[inoref]

Slim to none, imo.

I agree, kinda on the slow end.

 

[thebigabd]

Zero.

 

[MercedeSooner]

Europe.

 

[soonersublime]

Too stiff to be in today's NBA, he would have had a much better chance in the 80's or maybe even the 90's. He'll get a summer camp invite though but will be a good player in Europe or Asia.

 

[ellissooner]

Zero chance. Not tall enough, quick enough, or a good enough shooter. Nice college player and wish we had him all 4 years just not a NBA game.

 

[usedtobe1]

Thomas didn't blow up the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament a couple of weeks ago, but he did OK. That's where they invite 64 seniors to play in front of scouts from every NBA team. Mostly seniors on the cusp of the NBA draft attend hoping to improve their stock. Several Big 12 seniors were there: Le'Bryan Nash, Michael Cobbins, Royce O'Neal, Kenny Cherry, Dustin Hogue, and Bryce Dejean-Jones.

I saw where they measured Thomas at 6'6.75" with a 7'1.5" wing span. He averaged 10 points and 7.7 rebounds but his team lost all 3 games. One other notable stat is he averaged 2.7 blocks per game which was 5th best at the camp. Nash averaged 13.7 points but only 3 rebounds. DeJean-Jones averaged 12.3 and 7.3 boards. Those were the top 3 results from Big 12 players but none of them made the all-tourney team.

Here's a link to all the stats: Portsmouth Stats

This is a good bio on him from DraftExpress but it's a little dated: Thomas Bio