<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Sixers forward James Thomas is a physical player who can rebound the basketball, and those things certainly have worked in his favor. Thomas, 24, was one of five free-agent invitees the Sixers brought to training camp, and he is the only one left of that group. And it appears the 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward may be around for a while, particularly with the injuries the Sixers currently have on their frontline. Center Samuel Dalembert will be out 10-to-14 days with a strained right quadriceps, an injury he reaggravated Thursday, and forwards Michael Bradley (right knee surgery) and Shavlik Randolph (fractured left foot) are out as well. Team president Billy King said he doesn't plan on signing another big man in the interim, which is good news for Thomas, since the Sixers already have a league limit of 15 players on their roster. If King had decided to make a move, it's likely Thomas would've been waived. "We're just trying to hold the fort the first two weeks until everybody comes back," King said. That decision gives players such as Thomas and Deng Gai opportunities. In the preseason, Thomas showed that he's a physical player who doesn't mind mixing it up inside. He averaged 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 points in 16.5 minutes per night. "I try to come out here and work hard every day," Thomas said. "That's how I got here. The coaches have had faith in me since Day 1. They said if I work hard, something good will happen to me. That's what I did and it did happen. But my journey's not over yet. "It feels good. Since I'm going to make the opening day roster, I'm playing for minutes every day in practice because I do want to play." Without Dalembert, 7-foot Steven Hunter is the starting center, and Gai, Thomas and Chris Webber also will play center. Gai is 6-9, Thomas 6-8 and Webber 6-10 but a natural power forward. "Anytime a guy's hurt, I just usually put the next guy in, regardless of who it is," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "I don't bog my mind with worrying, "This guy's out. That guy's out.' The reason why guys are on NBA teams is we feel like they can play. At the center spot, if somebody gets hurt, there's an opportunity for a guy to step in and play. "We will be small (at center). You've got to use what you have. You plug the next guy in and hopefully that guy can do the job. Certainly, he will not be up to Sam's caliber, but each day, we're hoping that guy will get better and help our needs out." Thomas was with San Antonio last preseason but was cut before the start of the regular season. He played 36 games for the NBDL's Roanoke Dazzle, averaging 13.3 rebounds and 12.4 points. He also received three NBA call-ups, from Portland, Cleveland and Atlanta, and appeared in nine games with Portland (where Cheeks was his coach) and two with Atlanta. "It was tough," Thomas said of moving back and forth between the NBDL and the NBA last season. "Good things have happened. I got rookie of the year (NBDL). I led the league with double-doubles. I just went out and worked hard every day." Free throws: Kyle Korver (hyperextended left knee) missed practice Sunday, but Cheeks said Korver should be ready for Tuesday's opener with Milwaukee </div> link:http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs...339/1002/SPORTS i havent seen any of the sixer preseason games, but i have seen the boxscores, and in them, it didnt look like he did much. from what i have heard/read, he is a fiece rebounder and a presence on the D. hopefully he turns out to be a steal for us.
That's what I like about James Thomas, he's an execellent rebounder and that's an asset we can surely use on our team, congradulations to James Thomas for making the team.
I don't understand why we don't sign the other veterans..Christian Laetner...and I forgot who else was available...He's not all the good now...but he's certainly better than Gai and James Thomas
