Jason Thompson?
- Thread starter Gabriel
- Start date
Sparky6string
Bench
He's always gonna be quality. Right now he's a reserve that makes the league jealous of us I'm sure, maybe our first big off the bench that can spell the 4 or 5 effectively. He could develop into more eventually as well. IDK but I like him and want to keep him. Without him we lose a lot of that size we have.
gunks
Hall of Famer
+1.
JT has an energy game, is a great rebounder, and can play the 4 or the 5. Sounds like the perfect bench big to me. If he gets better I can dig on a JT/Cuz frontline as well.
If we have to clear a log jam, I hope its Landry getting shipped out. The guy hustles, and has great offense, but hes a bad rebounder and undersized. Not to mention I've noticed hes a bit of a black hole. Dude is going to want a big payday after this season too. I'd rather not be the team that overpays.
JT has an energy game, is a great rebounder, and can play the 4 or the 5. Sounds like the perfect bench big to me. If he gets better I can dig on a JT/Cuz frontline as well.
If we have to clear a log jam, I hope its Landry getting shipped out. The guy hustles, and has great offense, but hes a bad rebounder and undersized. Not to mention I've noticed hes a bit of a black hole. Dude is going to want a big payday after this season too. I'd rather not be the team that overpays.
Landry is gone
I think the Kings have decided to build the team around bigger guys up front. They've finally figured out that undersized PF just aren't going to win games.
I think the Kings have decided to build the team around bigger guys up front. They've finally figured out that undersized PF just aren't going to win games.
sc3252
Bench
I think this year JT will be the starter and Landry will be the first off the bench, and next year we will lose Landry so Whiteside will be first off the bench. Only reason I think that is Landry will require more money than JT, and I think JT will play better next to Cousins/Dalembert making Landry more of an expensive 6th man that New York will overpay for after losing the Lebronstakes.
Chupacabra
Starter
I think most are being overly critical of Thompson. I think as of right now hes a solid powerforward that is foul prone. The most valuable thing about him is hes an energy player that can effectively play 4 or 5. There really arent alot of solid bigmen in the league that can legitimately play 4 and 5 equally. Hes a valuable asset.
sc3252
Bench
completly agree with you Goat sucker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra). I think he does have a fine game, but looked bad when Spencer Suxors was next to him.
KingsCitizen
Starter
JT should do well in this team. He is the hustle player you need to putback those shots when Cousins or Landry is double teamed. And he will be a key player that we need to continue to satisfy with regards to playing time. After this season, if we are to improve (as expected) Landry and Dalembert coming back is not a sure thing. So you have to keep JT to continue on improving this season as he is still in a very manageable rookie contract.
Sparky6string
Bench
That's a good point- now he's going to be next to quality guys in Cousins Dalembert and Landry. Wonder how that's going to affect his game, because if there's going to be a double team in the post it'll be on those other guys 'cept maybe Sammy.
WALTtheWIZ
G-League
Thompson is not a quality starter yet. Will he turn into one? Maybe but not now and not to be a "hater" but I don't see him becoming one. If landry is backing him up (due to his shortcomings, not his lack of skill) I think you can get by with jt starting as it stands now. I definitely don't think that teams are jealous of jt whether he is starting or coming off the pine.
He skill set is very limited- in a league becoming more and more skillful at every position...see the pau gasol types. Jt doesn't excel at anything, he's a decent rebounded with no low post game or moves, he actually looks very uncomfortable on the block. He has a low basketball iq...see his foul trouble. His defense is decent besides that but won't scare any big guys or penetrating guards.
If he can develop that 15-17 footer he can be a great compliment to the giant purple people eater. He's an older player relative to his years in the league so I don't expect him turn into an all star.
Again not to knock him, he can be a nice fit along the cuzstodian and landry but hes not enyed by other teams and he is what He is at this point- a hustle rebounder with average athleticism, above average jump shot and really with below average finishing ability.
He skill set is very limited- in a league becoming more and more skillful at every position...see the pau gasol types. Jt doesn't excel at anything, he's a decent rebounded with no low post game or moves, he actually looks very uncomfortable on the block. He has a low basketball iq...see his foul trouble. His defense is decent besides that but won't scare any big guys or penetrating guards.
If he can develop that 15-17 footer he can be a great compliment to the giant purple people eater. He's an older player relative to his years in the league so I don't expect him turn into an all star.
Again not to knock him, he can be a nice fit along the cuzstodian and landry but hes not enyed by other teams and he is what He is at this point- a hustle rebounder with average athleticism, above average jump shot and really with below average finishing ability.
And this may very be well all we require of him. The Heat won a title with Udonis Haslem starting at PF, and I can see JT becoming every bit as productive and even better than Haslem. There's no point in loading a lineup with a bunch of superstars. Have faith in the system the coaches put in place, and have faith in every guy fulfilling their role in the system. If Tyreke and Cousins become the dominant inside-outside combo we hope for JT could very well be the starting PF on a contending team.
WALTtheWIZ
G-League
Management clearly doesn't have too much faith in last years frontcourt and that includes Thompson. He can be serviceable , my post was more in regard to teams being jealous
I consider Thompson to be a winner and a keeper already because he works very hard and exert his best effort EVERY game. You want to retain that kind of player especially if he is a full-sized power forward at 6' 11" and weighs 250 Lbs.
It would be well-worth to wait and gamble on him a little longer because ( unlike Hawes ) Thompson is willing to do what it takes to become a relevant BIG.
What have we got to lose if we wait for another 2-3 years?
It would be well-worth to wait and gamble on him a little longer because ( unlike Hawes ) Thompson is willing to do what it takes to become a relevant BIG.
What have we got to lose if we wait for another 2-3 years?
This.
JT got drafted as the savior to our PF situation, I bought into the hype as well. But he is wayy to hyper out there, but he has the physical tools to become a top 10 NBA PF I think. He can knock down the jumper, hustles and can grab boards, his brain just needs to matchup to his physical skills. Until that happens he is a very, very valuable piece of our bench.
WALTtheWIZ
G-League
Where would you guys rank his value to this team looking into the future?
I would go:
1. Evans
2. Cousins
3. Greene
4. Casspi
5. Landry (only here due to the possibility of him leaving, though I think we need to have him as our first big off the bench to be the team we want to be)
6. Thompson
7. Whiteside
these are the guys I value for the future, excluding Garcia and Beno just because I'm not sure if they are in the plans. I would Thompson at #6 and that doesn't count as very very valuable for me. I just haven't seen anything to make me believe he is committed to improving his game...what does he do better now vs. When he first got here? His game isn't as rough around the edges but it hasn't really expanded either. And just because a guy has size doesn't make him awesome, there are plenty of full grown pf's and center who can't play. Not saying he can't play just saying it's doesn't mean much without the skill to back up the size.
He is serviceable!!! Just think he's been overvalued on the forum. Someone suggested oj mayo for him...c'mon son
I would go:
1. Evans
2. Cousins
3. Greene
4. Casspi
5. Landry (only here due to the possibility of him leaving, though I think we need to have him as our first big off the bench to be the team we want to be)
6. Thompson
7. Whiteside
these are the guys I value for the future, excluding Garcia and Beno just because I'm not sure if they are in the plans. I would Thompson at #6 and that doesn't count as very very valuable for me. I just haven't seen anything to make me believe he is committed to improving his game...what does he do better now vs. When he first got here? His game isn't as rough around the edges but it hasn't really expanded either. And just because a guy has size doesn't make him awesome, there are plenty of full grown pf's and center who can't play. Not saying he can't play just saying it's doesn't mean much without the skill to back up the size.
He is serviceable!!! Just think he's been overvalued on the forum. Someone suggested oj mayo for him...c'mon son
Sometimes being serviceable isn't a bad thing, there's not many 6'11 guys in the NBA that can play legit minutes in the NBA giving you consistent production. If he ever learns to play a better defensive game without the dumb fouls, mix in the consistent jumper I can see JT having a 'serviceable' 10-13 year NBA career.
WALTtheWIZ
G-League
Agreed
Not to side track the thread, but the whole JT v Landry starting 4 debate is funny to me. Does anyone believe that Landry would have a problem being the sixth man for this team? Logically it makes the most sense, bring the 6'9 scorer off the bench and slide JT over to the 5. I love the fact that we have 4 big men that can all do different things for years I've been jealous of the size other NBA teams have up front, now we are at that level height wise.
He has the talent to be a starting 4, though I would be wary of pairing him with Cousins, since neither are great defenders at this point. Depending on how Whiteside develops, Thompson may end up being our first big man off the bench, which should give us a very strong rotation at the 4-5.
W
woodrow
Guest
On the NBA Channel draft recap for the West Kenny Smith said Jason Thompson would be an All Star power forward in 2 years. I've liked Kenny since his Kings days and respect him as a commentator. But I certainly was surprised to hear him say it. They all liked the Kings young guys. I am excited about the Kings for the first time in years. The days of the big slow non-rebounding, no defense high post centers is over. I never understood why the King wing defenders would send their man baseline when Miller, Hawes etc couldn't rotate fast enough to stop the penetration/dunk. That won't happen with Dalembert, Cousins or Whiteside. If Kenny Smith is right we are on our way. Thompson starting with Landry coming off the bench
Telemachus
Starter
I think that JT's defense gets criticized a bit too much. The problem he had last season was he was the ONLY big man playing any defense. He was trying to play goalie in the paint for the Kings when that is NOT his game. That is why I wasn't surprised when his defense was not only better, but his fouls dropped with the arrival of Landry last year. Landry might not be a shot-blocker or big physical presence, but he played smart team defense which greatly helped JT out. With the addition of Dalembert, Cousins, and Whiteside, I think we will see that improvement continue for JT.
Competition
For all of these guys, it's all about competition. JT has the tools to compete for starting PF. The thing about PW is that he plays the guys who perform the best so whoever does best in training camp and preseason, that's the guy that's going to get to start. With 5 big man on the rotation, PW is going to expect whoever on the floor has to go all out on defense. Anybody who slacks off is going to get yanked.
For all of these guys, it's all about competition. JT has the tools to compete for starting PF. The thing about PW is that he plays the guys who perform the best so whoever does best in training camp and preseason, that's the guy that's going to get to start. With 5 big man on the rotation, PW is going to expect whoever on the floor has to go all out on defense. Anybody who slacks off is going to get yanked.
Entity
Hall of Famer
Exactly it wasn't a fluke that when spence went down at the end of the season that JT's game suddenly got better. He didn't shoulder the load on interior defens.
Sparky6string
Bench
Absolutely- see Joe Smith. There's a place for players other than superstars in this league, and I hope JT calms down some and is our Joe Smith for many many years. Whenever I read about JT at other boards or get a glimpse of what other teams think of him it's always very positive, and I am reminded of that "grass is always greener" thing and appreciate JT more.
Chupacabra
Starter
This post sounds like youre implying that if Thompson doesnt improve then hes gone, eventually. I dont believe this is true. Thompson is a solid, versatile contributer right now. He goes all out in every game and thats what you want. Hes not an all star caliber player. Id say hes a little better than Udonis Haslem of a 3 years ago. He will even get a little better. I hope we keep him around.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Thompson is more valuable than you might think. And I guarantee you that there are teams that would take him off our hands in a heartbeat. Especially in a league filled with undersized centers and PF's. Remember, he just finished his second year. I'm not sure what some of you are looking for, or at. Someone brought up Haslem. Last year he averaged 9.9 PPG and 8.1 RPG to go along with 0.3 BPG. Last season Varejao averaged 8.6 PPG and 7.6 RPG to go along with 0.9 BPG. And thats like his 7th year in the league. last year Thompson averaged 12.5 PPG and 8.6 RPG to go along with 1.0 BPG.
Now that might not be superstar stats, but they're not bad for a second year PF in the league. He improved last year, and I would expect more improvement this coming season. He's a hard and dedicated worker. He also has a pretty good skill level for a big man. He's an excellent passer and he handles the ball very well for a big. He's still a work in progress in the post and still needs to reduce his fouls per game. I expect big things from him this year. Its an important year for him. The third year is when most bigs start to blossom. You just have to have some patience.
I usually do not post a lot here but got to rep JT this time. JT is the only legit bigman on the team. Cousins and Whiteside have yet to play. The only reason I'd put Tyreke above JT is because he can break down defense with his dribble. Go out and a play a street game against a team with a 6'10 guy on your block and you'll see JT's value immediately.
Not necessarily GONE.
Just like you, I would like to keep Thompson around if his skills does not improve that much anymore. He is already a winner in my eyes basing on the the fact he works very hard and gives his maximum effort EVERY GAME. The guy is already a winner even if he turns out to be a bench player.
Just to clarify, the 2-3 years of waiting I was talking about is to give him the time to develop as a quality starting power forward.
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Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
That may not be too far off of how I would order things (although I have value for our three vets -- Dalmebert, Beno and Cisco -- as well), but it doesn't mean I am terribly eager to sacrifice the bottom half of that list either. I do see JT as mostly just a solid "servicable" NBA big, but one of those kind of guys off the bench could be very valubale to us going forward as a glue guy. Just more size and activity on the glass to keep on throwing at people. The third big body that just keeps the punishment coming. If he could just learn to defend, the Varejao sort of role.
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