Ailene Voisin: Thomas used to fitting the required role

[LMM]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12635967p-13489761c.html

Ailene Voisin: Thomas used to fitting the required role



By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, March 28, 2005

Kenny Thomas knows who he is not, and he is not Chris Webber, he is not a savior. But as has become increasingly apparent, the veteran power forward - one of three frontcourt players acquired in The Trade with the Philadelphia 76ers - was no throw-in, either.


He is long and lean, athletic and skilled, a gifted performer with soft hands and quick feet, and the instincts to straddle the inside/outside spheres. And in spite of a 6-foot-7, 245pound physique that rates on the small side for someone asked to provide muscle, he has displayed a much-appreciated passion for rebounding and mixing it up, along with a knack for spinning loose for dunks and driving layups.



Then there's that look, the stony expression that can silence a crowd. Is it a pout? A sullen stare? A freeze-frame of unhappy moments rolled into one?

"I tell Kenny all the time, 'It's OK to smile once a while.' " cracked Ron Garcia, Thomas' mentor and former coach. "He's not the aloof person that he appears to be on the court."

Still, Thomas, who was acquired along with Brian Skinner and Corliss Williamson, remains a bit of a mystery man. He also remains a bit confused. Having played for six coaches in three cities these past five years, his career has been an extended extreme makeover, his role-playing dutifully scripted to accommodate the coach and a particular set of circumstances.

Rudy Tomjanovich. Larry Brown. Chris Ford. Randy Ayers. Jim O'Brien. Rick Adelman. They all want something different, all want to win, but win their own way. Shoot. Don't shoot. Don't shoot beyond five feet ... .

Thomas, 27, on occasion has been a victim of the system; everyone wants a piece of him, but few have been intent on crafting a full body of work.

"I liked Larry Brown the best because he helped me develop my game the most," he said. "The one-dribble pullup. He taught me that. He made you play defense. Chris Ford let me play, too. O'Brien ... no comment. I'm just interested in doing what Rick Adelman asks and showing people that I have more to my game."

Offense is seldom the issue around here, of course. The Kings breed shooters by the dozens. In that sense, Thomas already fits right in. His excellent mid-range jumper and ball skills - coupled with surprisingly adept passing - are affording him numerous opportunities even in a system desperately missing Brad Miller's creative high-post presence.

But what the Kings really need is rebounding. And athleticism. And a defensive tenacity that compensates for assorted offensive ills. While the individual reviews have been encouraging, the collective resolve has been sporadic, impressive at times and woefully inadequate at others. "With us," noted Mike Bibby, "it's all going to be about our defense."

Undersized or not. In fact, according to Garcia, an assistant at Albuquerque High School and the University of New Mexico during Thomas' tenure, his protégé has always had the talent to be a double-digit scorer and rebounder, but not always the body. Though small by NBA power forward standards, Thomas lugged around 280 pounds as a starting center at UNM.

"We kept telling him to lose weight," said Garcia, chuckling, "but after games, we'd bring in boxes of pizza or Kentucky Fried Chicken. How smart were we? When Kenny got to the pros, though, he worked real hard to get himself in shape."

The fried chicken was replaced by healthier fare and fortified by a grueling, daily three-hour offseason workout routine that never varies. An only child who traveled extensively because of his father's military background, Thomas spends summers commuting among Houston, San Antonio and Albuquerque, but always accompanied by a personal trainer, and often with Garcia. (Spurs coach/general manager Gregg Popovich was so taken by Thomas' diligence, that he even presented him with a key to the team's facility.)

The result is a body sculpted for success. Toned and sleek, Thomas moves as if running on springs, his gait light and graceful, his legs capable of erupting for ferocious dunks. And while his features are cast in stoic repose, his large inquisitive eyes hint at an acute, worldly vision.

"I have worked really hard to improve," he said, "but my mentality is this: If I have the ball and there's a better shooter open, like a Peja (Stojakovic) or Mike (Bibby), I will get them the ball. I also know Brian, Corliss and I came here to rebound and improve the defense."

As for tonight's encounter with a new foe, Thomas says, softly, "I don't want to disappoint the fans here. This is a great place to be. I just have to do what I do, and let the game come to me."

Rebound. Defend. Move the ball. That works.

 

[Kingsgurl]

"I liked Larry Brown the best because he helped me develop my game the most," he said. "The one-dribble pullup. He taught me that. He made you play defense. Chris Ford let me play, too. O'Brien ... no comment. I'm just interested in doing what Rick Adelman asks and showing people that I have more to my game."

Wonder if Grant will devote a show to calling Thomas 'classless' for that comment? Oh, wait, that's right, not while he is here

 

[Pqster]

Great article! although Garcia is a leach! I've watched KT play since High School and the guy has had to fight for everything he has gotton. Thomas is, too small, too heavy, too light, too slow, cant jump, has no fire. You name it he has heard it. But everytime he steps on the court NO BODY thinks those things. He gets mad respect from his peers but fans always want a little more! My wife and I laugh sometimes cause I can get all the posts from the Houston Board then the Philly board and then copy them here, cause its always the same old same old. Everybody wants him to be somebody he's not, he is not CWebb, or KG, or Tim Duncan, but who is. Trust me you will want him to be somebody he's not until he's gone then you'll wish you still had just KT. I've seen it twice before.

 

[VF21]

Great article! although Garcia is a leach! I've watched KT play since High School and the guy has had to fight for everything he has gotton. Thomas is, too small, too heavy, too light, too slow, cant jump, has no fire. You name it he has heard it. But everytime he steps on the court NO BODY thinks those things. He gets mad respect from his peers but fans always want a little more! My wife and I laugh sometimes cause I can get all the posts from the Houston Board then the Philly board and then copy them here, cause its always the same old same old. Everybody wants him to be somebody he's not, he is not CWebb, or KG, or Tim Duncan, but who is. Trust me you will want him to be somebody he's not until he's gone then you'll wish you still had just KT. I've seen it twice before.

If you think the Kings fans on this board don't appreciate Thomas for what he brings, then you haven't been reading the threads. We have watched player after player come into this organization and flourish because here they are allowed to be themselves and still encouraged to grow and expand their games.

Give us a chance. I think you'll find us a lot more appreciative to our players and their skills than some other fans. Just one hint? Don't EVER compare us to Philly fans. That just isn't right. We have NEVER booed Santa Claus.



BTW, welcome to the board. I think you'll find we have a great group of people here who, despite differences in opinion, share one common bond - we LOVE the game of basketball!!!

 

[Bricklayer]

Great article! although Garcia is a leach! I've watched KT play since High School and the guy has had to fight for everything he has gotton. Thomas is, too small, too heavy, too light, too slow, cant jump, has no fire. You name it he has heard it. But everytime he steps on the court NO BODY thinks those things. He gets mad respect from his peers but fans always want a little more! My wife and I laugh sometimes cause I can get all the posts from the Houston Board then the Philly board and then copy them here, cause its always the same old same old. Everybody wants him to be somebody he's not, he is not CWebb, or KG, or Tim Duncan, but who is. Trust me you will want him to be somebody he's not until he's gone then you'll wish you still had just KT. I've seen it twice before.

Thomas makes the most of what he has, but the teams he has left haven't exactly fallen apart after he's gone. Don't think you are ever going to have any ill will toward KT after he leaves you team -- he will have given it his best. But on the other hand unless you're a KT fan, don't think you will lose too much sleep over it either. The limitations noted are real, and hard as he may work, much as he may get the most out of what he has, its very hard to see those limitations in a starter on a championship team. That's nothing against KT. That's just reality. I trust KT to give his all, I think he will be very effective on many nights, and less effective on others. But in the end, no matter how hard he works, no matter how dedicated he is, he has the talent and size of just another good player, not a special one.

 

[Pqster]

By no means do I want to group everyone together actually there are several Philly fans I still talk to and they are still pissed. I don't want to go back through and pinpoint the posts I am refering to, I'm just saying this is the way it starts little by little and heaven forbid the more games we lose the more undersized KT becomes! lol But you are are right KINGS fans are very gracious!

 

[VF21]

I'm just saying this is the way it starts little by little and heaven forbid the more games we lose the more undersized KT becomes!

To me that sounds like you're trying to anticipate complaints and deal with them ahead of time and, quite frankly, I don't think that's fair to Kenny. He was brought here as part of a trade and has so far shown he's willing to give maximum effort. He wasn't brought here as a superstar and I don't think most of us are expecting him to become one over night. We will, of course, wish he was a little better. We do that with Bibby, and Peja, and that guy who went to Philly in the deal that brought Thomas here. That's just the way things go.

If the Kings lose more games, and they will, I'm pretty sure there are going to be plenty of players to blame - and I don't think Kenny Thomas is going to be at the top of the list.

Instead of making pre-eminent strikes against what you think we might end up thinking, why not just let us watch the movie first and then review it?

 

[iheartBrad]

thx for posting LMM

I read the Corliss article, and then the Brian article just the other day...so i've been waiting for K9 article...nice read

 

[Pqster]

The limitations noted are real, and hard as he may work, much as he may get the most out of what he has, its very hard to see those limitations in a starter on a championship team.

alla Horice Grant, several I can't remember, not All Stars but starters on Championship Teams. I believe these individuals would beg to differ that with their limitations they were not a contributor on a Championship team.

 

[Bricklayer]

alla Horice Grant, several I can't remember, not All Stars but starters on Championship Teams. I believe these individuals would beg to differ that with their limitations they were not a contributor on a Championship team.

Horace Grant was a 6'9"/6'10" shotblocker/stud defender. In a lot of ways the PERFECT complementary player on a top team.

In to a large degree that is KTs problem -- he does not have the build or game of a complimentary player. He has the build and game of a "Webber-lite" (would never use Webb as the comparison except of course they were traded for each other). He can't block shots -- just too small. He can't contend with a Tim Duncan in the post. He's not built to be a complimentary player. He's built to be a minor league starter. Starter for a bad or middling team. He's got skills, in fact better offensive skills than a lot of complimentry players, but they are the wrong skills for a complimentary guy. If he's got a spot on a championship team, its likely as an active live body off the bench. A 6th man type who can beat up on backups and give you a spark.

 

[heypartner]

Pqster, nice comments about KT, but your stepping way over a line suggesting bbs'ers don't get it....especially Kings fans. Yeah, you can say everyone at Clutch City called KT a "black hole"...man with a chip on his shoulder, but that is just not true. Not e v e r y o n e thinks that... Not even close, really. Guys like you and me who consider KT one of out favorite players, because of his courage and work ethic (I assume I can speak for you on that) are not as rare as you think. The only reason people talk lukewarm about KT is because all the most recent top teams (except the current Rockets and any team with Shaq on it) have an all-star PF, so they simply are applying history to their criticism of KT.

Do I agree with that...I don't know. I do think historical arguments that measure PF teams through history don't prove anything, but I also know how great these PFs are in the era of Shaq and the PFs. I know I love KT, and every team wants and needs role playing starters like him.

anyhow, just for grins, check out my first post here at Kingsfans...whaddya think. Did I describe Kenny just like that journalist or what...even down to how he seems to walk on his toes, light as can be.

Scouting of KT from a big fan

So, dude, you are not alone. Everyone here loves role players...are you kidding? You and I just happen to love this specific role player more since we've been following his career longer.

btw guys, he's not 245 lb's, like everyone reports. He's 235. I'll post some old stories about him. I really like his approach to sports. Ya'll know how he got the nickname K9, right?

 

[Pqster]

In to a large degree that is KTs problem -- he does not have the build or game of a complimentary player. He has the build and game of a "Webber-lite" (would never use Webb as the comparison except of course they were traded for each other). He can't block shots -- just too small. He can't contend with a Tim Duncan in the post. He's not built to be a complimentary player. He's built to be a minor league starter. Starter for a bad or middling team. He's got skills, in fact better offensive skills than a lot of complimentry players, but they are the wrong skills for a complimentary guy. If he's got a spot on a championship team, its likely as an active live body off the bench. A 6th man type who can beat up on backups and give you a spark.

and you were saying VF21? Brick you are absolutly right he does have the wrong skills for a complimentary player????? The ability to rebound, shoot a middle range jumper with consistancy, moves to take it to the rack on occasion, the ability to play in the paint despite being undersized. I never really thought about it like you just explained, but your right those are all qualities you would hate to have in a complimentary player. Especially when he is a little offensevly superior to a normal complimentary players, sounds like a reciepe for disaster to me.

 

[Pqster]

But you are are right KINGS fans are very gracious!

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Man, I really, really need to work on my writting skills! "ARE YOU HEARING THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY KEY BOARD" Damn New Mexico Schools shoulda learned me better!

 

[heypartner]

You're right, you did say that...at the bottom of your second post. But where did you say anything nice about Houston fans. Me and my stupid tendency to respond to the first post, while skimming the rest.

Just don't know where you're going with this "pre-emptive" strike on people who may or may not be bashing KT. I always have a lot more fun just scouting the players and cheering for them and the team.

 

[Pqster]

anyhow, just for grins, check out my first post here at Kingsfans...whaddya think. Did I describe Kenny just like that journalist or what...even down to how he seems to walk on his toes, light as can be.

Scouting of KT from a big fan


Dude you are the man, you hit it dead on, could'nt of done it better myself and I've watching him since High School! The only thing I would of added is his pumpkin head, and his expression that he would rather be mowing the lawn, that always throws people.

I'm just glad i'm not alone, my wife was starting to think I was a little gay, lol ( do you shed a tear also when the Kings play the Magic and Stevie, Mobs, and KT are on the court together? They grew up together! I still hate Mo Taylor and Eddie.

 

[Bricklayer]

and you were saying VF21? Brick you are absolutly right he does have the wrong skills for a complimentary player????? The ability to rebound, shoot a middle range jumper with consistancy, moves to take it to the rack on occasion, the ability to play in the paint despite being undersized. I never really thought about it like you just explained, but your right those are all qualities you would hate to have in a complimentary player. Especially when he is a little offensevly superior to a normal complimentary players, sounds like a reciepe for disaster to me.

Look, we get fans of all sorts of players around here, you're hardly the first. I might suggest to you, as I have to others, that there are resons why all of those terrible unreasonable people out there have ended up coming to similar conclusions about your favorite player.

A "complimentary player", as I'm defining it, would be a player who does NOT need the ball to excel. Kind of the sine qua non of a complimetary guy. While the stars are over there playing with the ball, the compimentary guy is the guy who COMPLIMENTS them by providing things that they (the stars) don't, and by helping regardless of the number of times he actually sees the ball. That's not particularly Kenny. The best things he does in that regard are a) pretty good rebounder; and b) nice jumper. But on the other hand, he is small, and unable to protect the interior because of it. And he is at his best WITH the ball. And that's the problem. Just to take the obvious example -- Brian Skinner is a better complimentray player than Kenny, even though he is less skilled. And its why I suggest that Kenny's role on a championship team might have to be off the bench. As a starter, he is never going to be better than your 3rd or 4th best offensive player, and our team, when healthy, he might be the 5th. Him handling the ball instead of Miller or Bibby, shooting intead of Peja or Cat, is not the route to glory. But off the bench he could be the 1st or 2nd best offensive player on the floor for stretches, and allow him to do what he does well.

I would also suggest that Kenny's "ball hogging chip-on-the-shoulder" rep is also both the good and the bad for him. The chip on the shoulder is why he has worked himself into becoming a solid NBA player. Its also probably what drives him to be unwilling to step back and accept a role -- he's constantly trying to prove himself. Its a trait that gives and takes. Its what's made him what he is, and its also what limits his appeal and wears out his welcome.

 

[heypartner]

thx pqster, thought you'd like that. Always fun to talk to a New Mexico fan--I didn't go there, but love to hear the early stories of KT.

I would also suggest that Kenny's "ball hogging chip-on-the-shoulder" rep is also both the good and the bad for him. The chip on the shoulder is why he has worked himself into becoming a solid NBA player. Its also probably what drives him to be unwilling to step back and accept a role -- he's constantly trying to prove himself. Its a trait that gives and takes. Its what's made him what he is, and its also what limits his appeal and wears out his welcome.

That's one of the best comments I've seen about KT, and I did see you say that in your report card, as well. I just never bought into this "black hole" comment about Kenny. (People called him a "black hole" in Houston. I meant to write that rather than "ball hog.") The Rockets (and the 76'ers) just never had much ability to run sophisticated offenses that involve high post passing, so KT's role was to attack the basket or catch-n-shoot (but on limited FGA's) then do the dirty work. Now Kenny has that opportunity to partake in more of a 5-man game, and he's showing he's willing to play that role, as well, and in the nba league pass games I've seen, he's surprising people, myself included.

You theory that KT's attitude is a good and bad, to me, is really more about him being on a winning team or not. On a winning team, his personality, imo, is to play team ball and win. On losing teams, his Rockets and the 76ers, everyone gets criticized and, yeah maybe his personality makes it look like he's really pissed about things.

Bricklayer, hey, I also really like your recent comment about the Kings not really being able to run the Carril offense like they used to...losing great passers like Webber and Divac...and now losing Miller. It's a shame, though. It looks to me like the Kings have had to simplify things. Now they're left curling around downpicks with counter plays, pnr-ing and driving/kicking, just like a lot of teams. Y'all really need Miller back, not to take anything away from the fan fav Skinner, but I'd really like to see Miller/KT taking up the double high post structure that has gotten Peja and Bibby so many points in previous years. Gotta be able to threaten the dreaded Webber 18' shot to get that backdoor passing going.

 

[SacTownKid]

Horace Grant was a 6'9"/6'10" shotblocker/stud defender. In a lot of ways the PERFECT complementary player on a top team.

In to a large degree that is KTs problem -- he does not have the build or game of a complimentary player. He has the build and game of a "Webber-lite" (would never use Webb as the comparison except of course they were traded for each other). He can't block shots -- just too small. He can't contend with a Tim Duncan in the post. He's not built to be a complimentary player. He's built to be a minor league starter. Starter for a bad or middling team. He's got skills, in fact better offensive skills than a lot of complimentry players, but they are the wrong skills for a complimentary guy. If he's got a spot on a championship team, its likely as an active live body off the bench. A 6th man type who can beat up on backups and give you a spark.

Well I see your strong in your opinion and I happen to disagree. I think if given the right situation he could be starter on a championship team. A superstar? maybe not.

 

[VF21]

and you were saying VF21? Brick you are absolutly right he does have the wrong skills for a complimentary player????? The ability to rebound, shoot a middle range jumper with consistancy, moves to take it to the rack on occasion, the ability to play in the paint despite being undersized. I never really thought about it like you just explained, but your right those are all qualities you would hate to have in a complimentary player. Especially when he is a little offensevly superior to a normal complimentary players, sounds like a reciepe for disaster to me.

?????????????

I fail to understand the need for the sudden sarcasm and superior attitude.

We are KINGS fans. Most of us have been here quite a while. You come, as a player fan, and are upset because we aren't ready to worship at the feet of your favorite player?

What I was trying to say was to give us a chance to get to know him instead of prejudging that we would inevitably find him deficient in some manner.

I'm backing out of this discussion. As far as I'm concerned, Kenny will either prove himself a good fit or he won't. If he does, fine. If he doesn't, then he's trade fodder for the off-season. I hate to be blunt but I have no emotional investment in him whatsoever. He's wearing the uniform of the team I love. I'll be open-minded about his ability to contribute to that team. I am not going to wait for him to walk on water OR stink up Arco. I will reserve judgment until such time as I think I have seen enough of him to make a valid point about whether or not I think he should stay.

After all, the team was here before he got here and it will be here after he leaves.

GO KINGS!!!!!