Tyrus is having the worst year of his career, so now would be a time to buy low. I see him as a rich man's Dominic McGuire - terrific rebounder, unbelievable athleticism, great length, and a knack for spectacular plays that get the crowd and team pumped (Nate Robinson-like via dunks and blocks). He could be a great compliment to Lee playing at C. Tyrus will also be able to cover up some of the defensive mistakes from our small backcourt. Thing is...if we do this, we go small, run, and we gun hard for the playoffs. Bye-bye lotto pick.
PG: Curry / Robinson / Jenkins
SG: Ellis / Thompson
SF: D. Wright / Rush / Gerald Green*
PF: Thomas / McGuire / C. Wright
C: Lee / Udoh / Tyler
* d-league call-up
ESPN Scouting Report
6'10", 225 lbs, born 8/17/86 (25 y.o.)
+ High-energy shot-blocker and finisher. Long, athletic but slender big man.
+ Can make midrange Js and finish at rim, but makes bad decisions. Weak handle.
+ Mistake-prone defender.
Has great tools but not always in the right spot. While the Bobcats were busy starting Boris Diaw and Kwame Brown in the frontcourt, Thomas was leading the team in PER and had one of the best plus-minus marks on the roster, but he averaged only 21 minutes a game. Even missing half the season with injuries, this was easily his best campaign as a pro. Thomas averaged nearly a point every two minutes, showcasing for the first time in his career the requisite finishing skills to take advantage of his considerable athleticism. While Thomas shot well around the rim, it was equally encouraging to see him knock down 41.6 percent of his shots beyond 10 feet; these comprised half his shots and gave him a half-court role when he wasn't dunking on people.
Thomas is still less than refined as a ballhandler. He catches the ball thinking only of scoring and doesn't see the rest of the floor, plus he's a weak dribbler and can get out of control. Only four power forwards had a worse Pure Point Rating, offsetting some of the scoring impact. Thomas also had trouble staying on the floor, as he fouled once every 7.6 minutes -- partly because his skinny build puts him in physical mismatches.
However, Thomas did defend and rebound. While he makes mistakes at that end, he offsets them with his athleticism. Thomas blocked 3.07 shots per 40 minutes, ranking second among power forwards, and was also among the leaders at his position in steals and rebounds. The Bobcats gave up 5.25 points per 100 possessions less with him on the court, even though he was often playing out of position as a center. I still don't know why he wasn't starting, but Thomas clearly needs to play a larger role this season.
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