Philly Inquirer: Trade to Philly came as a surprise to Thomas

Havent seen it on here, if its been posted, please delete. Anyways, I am surprised that he was surprised. I honestly thought he knew all along he was being shopped around. Anybody see him at the Heat game on Mon. Him and TMo had the STRAIGHTEST faces I have EVER seen after somebody getting the into overtime at the buzzer. I dont know, maybe its just him. I even recalling his interview on Media day, he seemed pissed off. But then again, KT sounds like a guy who is to himself.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/basketball/nba/philadelphia_76ers/4786724.htm

Sixers Notes | Trade to Philly came as a surprise to Thomas
By Ashley McGeachy Fox
Inquirer Staff Writer

He looked unsure going through pregame drills in his black-and-blue 76ers warm-ups. Nearly 48 hours after being traded from Houston to Philadelphia in a three-team deal, Kenny Thomas was still, as he put it, in shock.

About 5 p.m. Wednesday, before the Rockets took on Indiana, Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich called Thomas, who was taking a pregame nap. Thomas started shaking at the news that he had been traded.

"I'd never been traded," he said before the Sixers hosted the Los Angeles Lakers last night. "This is like a different point in my career, and the whole thing is that we were pretty much packed at [power forward] and I had a great year last year, so I guess Rudy thought he had to get rid of somebody, and it was me.

"I'm still in shock. I don't know how I'm going to react out [on the court]. It's kind of like coming out of college again. It's just a change I've got to go through, and my family's going to be here to help me. I don't know when they're going to be here, but I'm looking forward to being here."

Despite a hot rumor that Thomas would be in the starting lineup last night, he was not. Aaron McKie began the game guarding Rick Fox at small forward, with Keith Van Horn getting Samaki Walker at power forward and, of course, Todd MacCulloch on Shaquille O'Neal at center.

Admittedly nervous beforehand, Thomas was the fourth Sixer to come off the bench. He entered the game with 10 minutes, 59 seconds left in the second quarter, after Greg Buckner had been hit across the face by the Lakers' Robert Horry.

Three possessions later, playing alongside Eric Snow, McKie, Brian Skinner and Derrick Coleman, Thomas had a play called for him. Thomas missed a hook shot, but Coleman tipped it in to pull the Sixers to within 29-28. Those were two of the eight straight points that gave the Sixers a 32-29 lead.

Thomas scored his first points as a Sixer a few minutes later on a nice drive, making the score 34-31.

He did have a nice 2001-02 season, his third in the NBA after the Rockets picked him 22d in the 1999 draft out of New Mexico. In 72 games, Thomas averaged a career-high 14.1 points as well as 7.2 rebounds. In 20 games this season for Houston, he was averaging 9.9 points and 6.9 boards.

Although he has logged more professional minutes at power forward, Thomas said that Sixers coach Larry Brown told him that he would play small forward at least until Monty Williams is healthy, which won't be for at least another week.

"I just want to be on the court and play basketball," Thomas said.

Thomas said that he has spent at least the last three summers working out in Philadelphia because his former agent recommended it. So he knows a lot of the Sixers - including Allen Iverson.

Asked what he thought about getting to play with Iverson, Thomas compared it to playing with Rockets guards Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley.

"He does get a lot of shots," Thomas said. "Basically, I had that in Houston with Steve and Cuttino and when Yao [Ming] came in. That's why I wasn't getting as many touches as I did last year.

"But I think I've seen Allen pass the ball. I think he's gotten a lot better as far as passing the ball, and I think he wants to win. Playing with him and against him in the summer, he looks like he's the type of person who wants to win."