This is how I'm viewing him as well. A cheaper, younger and potentially better Holiday. He's certainly bigger than Aaron and that may help with both offense and defense. If he can provide us with some more consistent shooting off the bench, then it's a win at pick 31.
Here are the combine measurements: Measurement / Bruce Thornton / Reed Sheppard Height (without shoes) 6'0" 6'1.75" Weight 223 lbs 181.6 lbs Wingspan 6'5" 6'3.25" Standing Reach 8'0.5" 7'9.5" Max Vertical 35.5" 42.0" What jumps out is that he has a 3" higher vertical reach than Reed.
Yeah. I don’t see what all the hand-wringing is about. He is a second round pick. If he makes the rotation it’s a win. If not, nothing lost.
Thompson is also much slower, less agile, and can't really jump.... it another way to say it, Thompson is a lot less athletic. Potentially not athletic enough to be an NBA guard, his lane agility drill was especially poor.
Seems like a solid backup point as early as next season. May work well eventually as a starter next to Amen.
Agreed. The Google AI Overview says ... Yes, Bruce Thornton was the starting point guard for Ohio State for all four of his collegiate seasons. [1] He served as the team's primary floor general and a four-time captain, starting all but one game over his entire college career—missing only a single game due to illness. During his standout senior campaign, he averaged 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. Thornton cemented his legacy by finishing his four years as Ohio State's all-time leading scorer. [1, 2, 3, 4] Thornton started four year at point for a top team in a top conference. There is some hope that he is NBA ready and can handle the backup point guard position. If Thornton was an Ime approved pick, I would not be surprised if Thornton get minutes as a rookie.
I like this pick. Have him all over Reed in practice to toughen him up. This guy has that “dawg” in him that Reed seems to be missing.
There is 1 Brunson, he is unique. Drafting and hoping that a new guy can become him, when there has been exactly 1 in all of nbA history is dumb. DD
It's more the complete lack of athleticism to go with his diminutive stature that has me questioning his NBA future.
