hey all,
I'm a season ticketholder Houston Rockets fan, and one of those people who has admired the Kings for a long time. My 2nd favorite team, always rooted for the Kings in the playoffs. Now I follow the Kings even more because you have my two favorite Rockets players--Mobley and Kenny. These guys play with a lot of heart. I know, I know...hard to replace Christie and Webber, but just thought i'd chime in to give a scouting report on Thomas.
First off, Kenny is a PF. The Rockets never used him as a SF, even when they had Eddie Griffin starting with him. That said, he is quick enough to be used to guard some SFs, should the Kings want to pair him with a taller PF.
Thomas works as hard as anyone in the off-season to improve his game. He's no "leaper" has someone here suggested, but he is quick off his feet. That's why he's a good rebounder. You'll notice that he's always on his toes. He does that so he can react faster than taller rebounders. And he can grab those one-handed rebounds in a crowd.
He is also a solid team defender. His positioning on defense is perfect. Both in man and in zone. He's got that Malone swipe the ball thing, too. And he's deceptively strong. I've seen him block a two-handed thunder jam attempt by Jermaine O'Neal with only one hand, right at the rim. It takes a lot of strength to do that. I've seen him block a flying fastbreak tomahawk jam by Grant Hill. kenny was at a full sprint coming down the middle as Hill was coming from the wing, and he blocked it right at the rim as Hill was slamming it home. That also takes a lot of strength to get a hand in front of a tomahawk and stop it dead. That dislocated Kenny's thumb.
He's a rock who can't be pushed around. It is very hard to back him down. Duncan commented about that in Kenny's rookie season. Hard to call any 6'7 PF a good defender in the West, but at least he makes few mistakes. His key is he has to out position his man. Use the "Deny the Ball" approach to defense. Front and back them, and not let them get to their sweet spot. That's what you'll see him trying to do.
I have also always thought he was a good passer, but that often isn't his role on the teams he's been on. But with the Kings, who knows, that might show. He usually is shooting open Js or driving hard to the basket. Philly coaching staff is high on his jumper over the past 2 months.
No power forward can stop his first step...he's that quick. Great footwork in the lane, with an array of spins moves, left-handed and right. But he is not completely money on his drives. Hard to explain. It's like he's too worried about being blocked from behind or from the weakside.
He's no star, because of being a 6'7 PF, but worth 30 mpg. The biggest thing I've always loved about him is he's a quiet warrior type who works hard on his game and on his body. He was somewhat overweight as a rookie, and has had a personal trainer ever since. He's much leaner now, strong and quick.