Postgame story says: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Thomas' athleticism and highlight-reel blocks and dunks continue to draw oohs and aahs from the United Center crowd. Those who see Thomas in practice have a more grounded view. "He has to play with energy," Boylan said. "He can't feel his way through the game. He has to play hard. He's getting better. I think he understands where his strengths are and that's around the basket. "I've been saying it over and over and over again. But the other stuff is gravy. If he gets a couple of 15-foot jumpers, that's fine. His main workload is at the rim. When he's there and active at both ends, he's a good player." Thomas said his goal is to become a more all-around player.</div> I wonder if Thomas just chafes like crazy at being told to just go to the basket. One of the things that came out of Chandler's various recent interviews seems to be how the Bulls broke him hard if he didn't do exactly what they wanted him to do. Given some freedom (and ok, five or six years!) he's developed a bit more than he would have here. On the other hand, he often looks like a chicken with his head cut off. So I see the issues from both sides.
How you feel about Josh Smith is a pretty good litmus test. He averages 18 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks a game. His PER is 20.64. He has a positive +/-. A number of teams appear eager to hand him a $50 or $60 million contract. He also takes jumpers and attempts passes he has no business forcing. ~7 jumpers a game despite a .308 EFG%. 3.3 TOs a game compared to 3.8 assists. I think the PER formula somewhat overvalues his blocks (because they are weakside blocks) and scoring (he's not very efficient). And the Hawks are 21-28 so far. I like his ability, but I don't like the way he plays. I'm fairly certain Tyrus could turn into the same type of player if we let him run free. But I think we should aim slightly higher. So I'm in favor of being as strict as possible. I think Tyrus is the one guy on the roster that would actually benefit from it. He appears to have boundless self-confidence and doesn't seem apt to a Chandler-like breakdown. The main downside is that it kills Tyrus' trade value. Oh well.
