"Teammates never have a worry concerning Charlotte Bobcat Tyrus Thomas' body. His head? That's another thing entirely. "I think he's still a little immature,'' small forward Gerald Wallace said. "But at the same time, when he focuses on playing the game the right way, and not worrying about the referees or worrying about getting fouled or getting hit, he's amazing.'' Added shooting guard Stephen Jackson, "All he has to do is keep his mind in the game, and you'll see a lot of good this season.'' There's a reason Bobcats coach Larry Brown frequently calls Thomas this team's Rasheed Wallace. Like now-retired Wallace, Thomas is a superbly talented big man. Also like Wallace, he can be cranky, moody and disruptive. But there's been none of that so far this preseason. Thomas was probably this team's best player in training camp, topping off a great week at UNC-Wilmington with 14 points and three blocked shots in Sunday's intra-squad scrimmage. As the Bobcats enter the exhibition phase of the preseason - they play the Cavaliers in Cleveland Tuesday night - the question hovers: Is Thomas ready to grow up and calm down? He offers an emphatic yes, crediting his turnaround to the trust established with Brown. "People say I'm uncoachable and this and that,'' Thomas said Monday following practice. "This (relationship) is the best by far I've ever had with a coach in my life.'' Thomas hasn't always interacted well with male authority figures. His first 2 1/2 NBA seasons, spent with the Chicago Bulls, included a $10,000 fine for saying he was only in the All-Star Weekend dunk contest for the money and a one-game suspension for complaining about playing time. His clashes with then-Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro were frequent. For all his ability - as a pure athlete, he's extraordinary - the Bulls decided he was more trouble than he was worth, dealing him to the Bobcats at the trade deadline." Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/10/04/1739558/bobcats-hope-thomas-physical-skills.html
