Skip Bayless comments on Tyrus Thomas.

[KB21]

On First and Ten today, Skip Bayless mentions that an NBA GM told him last night that Tyrus Thomas is the best leaper he's ever seen. This GM went on to say that Tyrus has Amare Stoudemire-type potential, and that his leaping ability makes him play like he is 6'10". This GM thinks Tyrus will be the first player selected in the draft if he declares.

[exodus]

I like TT but Amare is a bad comparison. Amare is as strong as an ox, TT definitely isn't. And I would be surprised if his vertical is better than Smith's.

[jezmund]

Bad comparison I agree. Amare has a more 'beastly' body. He was much more skilled coming out of HS than TT is now. Don't forget, Thomas has been in college 2 years now. He looks like a more determined Stromile Swift to me.

[Diesel]

I don't know why you give Stromile Swift a bad rap coming out of College.

Coming out of college, I think Swift was far more proven than Tyrus Thomas...

He was averaging 16, 8, and 3 blocks Shooting 60% from the field as a sophomore.

I don't think Thomas has the offense that Swift had.

That's why I fear getting Tyrus. He's just like Swift. A guy coming in the league with good potential.. a good shot blocker but needing time to develop...

[Final_quest]

I wonder if so many people would compare Thomas to Swift if he went to a different school.

[Duff_Man]

Quote:

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That's why I fear getting Tyrus. He's just like Swift. A guy coming in the league with good potential.. a good shot blocker but needing time to develop...

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And the clock is still ticking on that development. Swift stinks.

[uga2006]

Skip Bayless knows nothing. All I heard from him was one scout said this one scout said that. These guy's know as much as we do, especially skip and Woody.

[Diesel]

I don't think it's the same school.

Look at them, they are like Clones of one another.

Both 6'9.

Both atheletic.

Both the anchor of their teams defense.

Both great shot blockers.

Both with unadvanced offensive games but high shooting percentages.

Both underdeveloped coming out of college.

The fact that both went to LSU is only one more coincident turned point...

[Traceman]

than Stro Swift and if he played elsewhere, I wonder if there would be more comparisons to Warrick.

[exodus]

Warrick isn't a good comparison at all. Tyrus is a better rebounder and a much better shotblocker.

Warricks last season

37 minutes 8.5 rebounds .8 blocks

Tyrus

26 minutes 9.3 rebounds 3.1 blocks

[Traceman]

Quote:

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NBA Comparison: Marcus Camby

Strengths: An unbelievable athlete who can jump out of the gym with the best of them. A highlight real waiting to happen. His incredibly long arms and intensity make him a ferocious offensive and defensive rebounder. Gets off the floor almost instantaneously. Possesses a nice turnaround jumper and decent ball handling skills for a player his size. Has the potential and desire to not only become an offensive force, but a shut down defender as well. A very exciting player to watch with huge potential.

Weaknesses: Everything he does is based on his superior athletic ability. Despite his ball handling skills, Hakim is still very raw. His points usually come from fastbreaks, tip-ins, and putbacks. He tries to dunk everything on the offensive end and block everything on the defensive side. Perimeter game is suspect, despite good form on his outside shot. MUST put on muscle if he has any plans of ever playing pro ball, he is very thin and is easily out-muscled. Free throw shooting and interior defense are also concerns.

Notes: Hakim has the potential to become a very good player, but must learn to rely on more than his other worldly athletic ability. If he learns to collect himself and show some patience, his offense will improve dramatically. It seems as though Coach Boeheim is going to use Hakim on the interior in his early years at SU and then slowly bring him out to the perimeter as his shot and ball handling mature....Nicknamed "Skinny" by his friends due to his extremely slender frame. Upside is definitely there.

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If you substitute "Tyrus" for "Hakim" in that scouting report, that is the same guy I see. I think Stro was bigger and stronger at the same stage of their careers - though he was no beast. Obviously, Warrick is not the shotblocker that Thomas is but as he developed, Warrick started playing SF in preparation for the NBA. Still, I think the raw ability in both is very similar.

[Eddielives]

All aboard the Tyrus Thomas hype machine. (someone here loves that term)

[exodus]

From your report:

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Free throw shooting and

interior defense

are also concerns.

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Try to find that line in a TT scouting report.

Warrick played inside at Syracuse. How many rebounds would he get if he played only 26 minutes? On a boards per minute basis he would average 6 rebounds in 26 minutes, 3 less than Thomas.

Keep in mind that this is Tyrus' first year playing college ball and his rebounding and shotblocking numbers totally blow away anything Warrick ever did.

[Iman]

I like the hype. If we get him my hope is that he's still growing taller. I'd still rather have Aldridge and Thomas appears to be pushing Aldridge back to us.

[Traceman]

his lack of bulk or lack of physical strength as a concern when trying to defend in the post. Being a great shot blocker doesn't mean that he is a great post defender.

Warrick didn't play in the post because he had a 7 foot Center and another 6'9" PF playing alongside him. I agree that Thomas has better shotblocking and rebounding instincts just as Warrick's offense was a little more polished but I still see a lot of similarities between them - size, concerns about whether they are strong enough to play against NBA caliber PFs, freakish athleticism, raw natural ability, aggressiveness, etc.

[exodus]

So why are people talking about TT as a possible number 1 while Warrick wasn't even a lottery pick if their games are so similar?

[Traceman]

is right now and the thought is that he has the potential to gain more weight. Thomas has the potential to be a full time PF where that is not likely to ever be the case with Warrick.

Conversely, Warrick was a 4 yr player and it was not likely that he would get much bigger. Thomas' selection would be based on his vast potential whereas people got an extr 3 years to see Warrick's development.

Still, in last year's draft, I don't think Thomas even goes top 5. He MIGHT have gone ahead of Felton but I don't know.

[exodus]

The real reason is that TT is a game changer defensively and Warrick never was. TT's presence in the middle is a big reason why LSU is still playing.

Warrick measured the same height as Smith and Marvin, and that is the same height they are projecting TT to be.

Of course the listed heights are greater than the actual heights. Both Smith and Marvin measured 6'7" w/o shoes. Warrick was 6'7.25" I believe.

[Traceman]

not a diss. I think Warrick is one of the best leapers I've seen in college ball and I still think he can be a productive NBA player. If Thomas can put on weight, I think he can be a better rebounding K-Mart.