Grades v. Thunder 11/10/09

[AriesMar27]

Ok, let me just clarify my position. I have never, and the chances of me ever saying it are extremely remote, said that Thompson, when all is said and done, will have a career as good as Webber.

Is Thompson's skill set similar to Webber's? You betcha. Does Thompson do all the same things Webber did? No. Does Thompson play as good as Webber at this point in his career? No. Because of his makeup and skill set, does he have a chance to approach Webbs contributions on the court? Definitely. Will he ever perform at or near the same level Webber did? Highly unlikely. Is it possible for Thompson to have a career where he a few years he can put up numbers similar to Webbers? I do believe so.

I think JT will figure it out, I think he has a legit future in this league and I think he has a lot of interesting tools that, if he can bring them together and I'm betting he can, will make him a legit threat in this league. He's already shown us that he has learned how to stop getting into foul trouble so easily, what would lead one to believe that he can't figure out other aspects of his game?

I just see him as having a lot of potential, and not every player develops at the same rate. Some very strong names have developed later in their careers and I see a lot of potential and an eagerness to learn in JT. And yes, some of the things he can do as a pf remind me of the things Webb can do. JT I guess could be called a less flashy, less controlled player than Webber. But I can't see another pf in the league to compare him to and I know Webb's game so well, it fits to me. Webb just developed faster but was derailed because of injuries playing 831 games over 14 seasons, avg 59 games a season. I don't know, maybe I can just see JT avg 20 ppg, 10 reb, 4 assists with a steal and a block for a few seasons and that reminds me of Webber's production.

lamarcus aldridge.... david west... a poor mans chris bosh...

webber was a beast, there hasnt been a pf to enter the nba this decade that compares to webber talent wise. all players pass, shoot, rebound and defend to some extent... no bigman has had webbers skills all in one player...

 

[Kingsguy881]

lamarcus aldridge.... david west... a poor mans chris bosh...

webber was a beast, there hasnt been a pf to enter the nba this decade that compares to webber talent wise. all players pass, shoot, rebound and defend to some extent... no bigman has had webbers skills all in one player...

JT could potentially, out of all the players you named, have more skill than them. He is a little more versatile than those players in that he can make more solid passes than all of them and he is, so far, more consistent in blocks and steals like Webb.

JT just comes up with a lot of loose balls and rebounds and that really reminds me of Webb. Webb just had a nose for the rock, but the difference in their game, and I'm sure this is Brickys major point, is that from the moment Webb stepped on the court his personality was instantly one of the most, if not the most, dominant personality on the court. He could impose his will on the court, he was extremely talented with the flashy pass, and he was a natural leader. Thompson does not, at this point, exude the confidence, charisma, and flash that Webber did, and probably won't ever. I just believe that Thompson can still potentially be pretty exciting allowing me to keep fresh my memories of Webb playing the same position and thrilling me too.