Although drafted 4th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft, Tyrus Thomas is considered by many a bust as he has, for the majority of his career so far, been coming off the bench.
However, when he returns from injury, I expect Tyrus to remove that bust label.
Thomas is expected to return this Wednesday against, coincidentally, the team that traded him last year, the Chicago Bulls.
As he is coming off a meniscus tear that had him out since late January, it might be a while for Tyrus to regain form.
However, playing Chicago will give Thomas some motivation, and teams typically play their players for more minutes than usual against their former teams. This gives Thomas as opportunity to put up some good numbers and attract some attention.
Starting from there, I expect Tyrus to go on a crazy roll similar to LaMarcus Aldridge's. I don't think it will be as great as Aldridge's, but it should be enough to earn him serious consideration for the Most Improved Player award. And it should be enough to get the Charlotte Bobcats to start building around the 24 year old as their piece for the future.
Yes, that good a roll.
Why? Well, let's start with the Bobcats' roster. Gerald Wallace was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers on deadline day, and, along with Stephen Jackson, was one of their core players.
Speaking of Jackson, he is out with an injury for what coach Paul Silas described as "a little while." Whether that's before or after Thomas' return, the aging and inconsistent Stephen Jackson may have a tough time getting going right off the bat, which could translate into more touches for Thomas against his old team.
The Bobcats do have three guards that can score in D.J. Augustin, Gerald Henderson and Shaun Livingston, but instead of bothering Thomas's bid for a breakout season, they should help him as they spread the floor and keep defenders from double-teaming Thomas, if it comes to that.
Meanwhile, the bigs on the Bobcats' roster are mostly incapable players, allowing Thomas to be the highlight of the frontcourt. Though Boris Diaw has started over Thomas for most of the season, he is slumping and Thomas could actually earn the starting job with a strong performance off the bench or two.
Starting center Kwame Brown is also slumping, though he is Kwame Brown so even if he regains his game, he won't be a threat to the touches Thomas needs to get.
The other bigs on the team? Dante Cunningham, Eduardo Najera, D.J. White, and Joel Przybilla.
Enough said. Przybilla can rebound and block shots, but he is worse offensively then Kwame Brown. White had a strong performance on Friday, but a good performance for him is 11 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in 19 minutes. Najera has been a bench warmer for most of his career and hardly qualifies as a big man. Dante Cunningham started in Portland earlier this season with all the injuries in their frontcourt, but was unimpressive despite the lack of competition for minutes.
Well, that pretty much means Tyrus Thomas has very little competition on the depth chart.
The Charlotte Bobcats also replaced head coach Larry Brown for Paul Silas this season, which should help Thomas' ability to replace Diaw as the starting power forward and earn good minutes. If you don't know Larry Brown, he is as strict a coach as they come. Paul Silas understands that the Bobcats are rebuilding and is more likely to play young guns such as Tyrus Thomas.
Of course, Thomas could continue being a bust. However, I'm sure Tyrus doesn't want that. I'm also sure both Thomas and Paul Silas understand that their team needs a lift from Tyrus Thomas.
So, what exactly can Tyrus do for the Bobcats? He is a shot-blocker at heart. He averages 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes for his career, and 2.7 for this season. With defensive stud Gerald Wallace now out of the picture, Thomas could actually improve those numbers if he got the PT.
Though he's only 6'9'', Thomas is an amazing shot-blocker.
How does he get those blocks?
With unmatchable athleticism. His hops are the type of thing you expect from the players in NBA Jam.
That athleticism helps Thomas on more than defense, however. It obviously helps him on the glass, and it provides him his main form of offense.
Thomas has no low post game and a mediocre mid-range shot, so he has to get his by attacking the hoop recklessly.
That isn't easy for a power forward, but this is where Paul Silas comes in (again). He is trying to install an up-tempo offense for the Cats, and pick-and-roll offense qualifies as up-tempo. If the Bobcats learn some pick-and-roll sets for Thomas, he should be able to average around 20 points a game after averaging 18.5 points per 36 minutes this season.
Though the immediate results may not be as good as I promise, once Thomas gets some confidence, I expect him to be able to remove that bust label.
Tyrus Thomas, it's time for your time.
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