After two full years in the NBA, Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas has garnered a reputation as an immature, fundamentally unsound athlete who doesn't do well with media, coming off as arrogant and aloof. Clearly, these aren't exactly shining endorsements for a former top-five pick in the NBA draft.
But offseason buzz is suggesting that Thomas could come back to the Bulls this season completely revamped in just about every way possible. It's quite possible that in 2008-2009, the freakish athlete finally becomes a reputable power forward.
Before you shrug this off with an unbelieving chuckle, consider first a few things:
He's Training the Right Way
All players go through some sort of regimen over the summer to either keep themselves in shape or get back into shape, and Thomas will have bookended his offseason this year with trips to IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida to work with renowned trainers like David Thorpe and Mike Moreau. Not only that, but he's done all of this with Luol Deng, clearly the new leader of this young Bulls team. He's associating himself with great basketball people and preparing himself to taking a more fundamentally sound approach to the game this year. Add that to his ridiculous athleticism (he truly can do things on the court almost no one else can do), and you've already got a recipe for a more successful season.
He's Learning to Speak to Media
There's more to being a success in the NBA than just playing basketball though, believe it or not. A guy has to be fluent and likeable in the media, and so far Thomas has been the exact opposite of that. After his infamous It's-All-For-The-Money comment leading up to the 2007 dunk contest it became clear that he had no idea when to joke and when to take things seriously. Not only that, but he was almost always rude to reporters he'd do interviews with, and the answers he normally gave were very stock and boring.
The thing is, Tyrus Thomas is a hilarious guy. He's also very intelligent and articulate, meaning there's no reason he shouldn't be able to provide the newspapers with more manners and substance. He's worked with people over the summer to get better at this, and after chatting with him a little bit at the Derrick Rose conference it was like speaking to an entirely different person. The first step to stardom is being loveable, and Thomas certainly could be if he'd just play the media game properly. And it looks like he's ready to do that.
He's Got a New Coaching Staff
Last year's Bulls team was destined for the basement as soon as Scott Skiles mentally quit on the team. Interim coach Jim Boylan never really got the guys hyped up, and its hard for a young player to feel like he's being used and developed properly amidst that sort of dysfunction.
New head coach Vinny Del Negro has done a great job reaching out to Chicago's most important young players to make sure they understand how important each and every one of them is to the team's success. Tyrus is an extremely enthusiastic young man, very eager to please and learn, and more than one knowledgeable NBA person has suggested that if the new coaching staff nurtures and develops Thomas properly as an all-around young man he'll grow into a rather impressive talent.
He's Growing Up
Understand that when Thomas first came into the league he was nineteen years old, and how many of us were swimming in maturity and responsibility at that age? Now pushing 22, Thomas is at an age where many people would be graduating college and looking for their first real job. Over two years after first being drafted, the initial glitz of the NBA lifestyle is likely becoming more commonplace. As he continues to adjust to the game and life it's inevitable that basketball starts coming more easily for him.
He's still going to have some brain farts and make some fundamental mistakes (still his main criticism), but if he's allowed to play through them he should have a fantastic year. Some people never thought they'd see it, but 2008-2009 could be the year Tyrus Thomas finally leaps his way into the Windy City spotlight.
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posted By edwin the great, 26 August 2008 5:48:47 PM
YOU forgot to mention the most important fact ..HE NEEDS MINUTES!!!... Hes playing behind drew gooden and nocioni only 18minutes per game . How can he produce playing such a small amount of minutes ...ALL dat crap about maturing doesnt mean anythin unless the man plays 30 plus mins ... If he does play 30mins a game he will be a solid double/double with 2 blocks a game
posted By Masood, 26 August 2008 8:22:53 PM
I not quite sure I'd pencil him in for a double double just yet, even if he does receive 30 or more minutes. Tyrus Thomas is almost a spitting image of Josh Smith -- an uber athletic shot blocking hybrid forward who can run the floor like a guard and finish with authority. Now, I'm not saying that either of them are not capable of grabbing 10 or more rebounds on any given night, but their propensity to go up and challenge every shot that goes up in the paint often leaves them out of position for rebounds. Thomas' April numbers (12.7/6.6, and 1.6 blks in 28 minutes) and Smith's 2nd season numbers (11.3/ 8.6/2.6 in 32) are probably a better barometer for expectations for this coming season. Smith probably progressed quicker because he was getting minutes from the beginning.
posted By Toolatecrew, 27 August 2008 2:46:33 PM
I do not buy the Josh Smith comparison.
Smith has always had a somewhat passable looking jumpshot. Thomas has none. Smith was drafted as a SG/SF. He can play some PF becuase of his athletic ability but he was always a face the basket guy. Thomas came in as nothing more than a run and jump guy.
Thomas is very athletically gifted but his skill level is terrible. He's very comparable to another LSu player Stromille Swift. Swift actually had a better skill oackage coming in but Thomas at least has a bot of a mean streak and will take conatct where swift is a complete P***y.
posted By Masood, 27 August 2008 11:06:38 PM
Does it really matter what a guy was "drafted as?" The way they play the game speaks for itself, labels notwithstanding. Yes, Josh Smith has a passable jump shot now, but the operative phrase is now. I'm an Atlanta native, and I saw Smith play at McEachern high as a junior and with the Atlanta Celtics before that. He had a jumper then, but when he got to the NBA, he couldn't shoot, because he lacked confidence, he didn't understand the offense, and they were tweaking his mechanics. Tyrus Thomas also had a consistent midrange shot at LSU, from what I observed during their deep tourney run in his only season there. Yes, it was ugly, but that alone is not enough to ignore all of the skills that make the comparison between the two unmistakeable -- They are the best shot blockers in the league under 6'10, and the best lane fillers over 6'8 on the break. As it stands right now, Josh Smith IS the best case scenario for Tyrus Thomas. Make no mistake about it, Smith was once at the very stage Thomas is at right now, a "run and jump guy," as you put it. Only, unlike Thomas, his development was not televised; only his dunk contest, and later his dominance of the Celtics for stretches during last year's playoffs.
posted By Grant Brown, 28 August 2008 7:33:13 PM
Very well put post. I agree with alot out what you said, Tyrus really needs to step us this year and become a big part of this offense. I agree with the first commenter as well though, he does need minutes! I read a very interesting article at BullsHome.com about Thomas and the rest of the Bulls situations. heres the link:
http://www.bullshome.com/blog/2008/08/28/interesting-situations-for-2008-bulls/
posted By Mark N, 3 October 2008 2:42:17 PM
The thing that has bothered me about Tyrus is that when he has a game where he does something sucessfully, like driving on Rasheed Wallace in a Chris Bosh face the basket type game, than you don't see him even attempt to try that aspect of his game again for several games. Another thing, I think he's a decent shooter from just right or left of the freethrow line where a lot of smart players make their hay with help from good set plays to get them open from coaches. But instead, the Bulls crummy offense had no structure, and he was heaving up shots from well beyond that standard/desirable area closer to the three line. This is definitely the year where Tyrus needs major minutes of a starter 28-32 to see if he can break through with his face up game which would set up his mid range jumpshot. As far as post moves go other than a little jump hook he rarely executes, his attempts mostly consist of bank shots with his away hand from the defender/away from the basket. I can't think of too many successful post up guys now or in the past who don't usually shoot the ball right in, not off the glass. This leads me to believe his instincts in this area are not good. Hopefully his face up game can materialize and if he gets enough confidence who knows maybe some good plays with defensive breakdwons will give him an opportunity to develop some sort of go to the basket move down on the blocks. People say he's a nice guy if you get to know him, but to me most of the time he's seemed like a real jerk. Will see if that was more insecurity, and something that can be overcome for him to be a good teammate, and someone us Bulls fans can root for.
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