Tyrus Thomas: the joke

[southsider2k5]

21 points, 12 rebounds,3 blocks, 42 minutes. Not bad for a lazy, unfocused, out of shape joke.

 

And the very next night 2 points 1-7 shooting, 28 minutes, 5 fouls, 6 Reb, and 0-2 free throws.

 

That is my exact point. One minute he is just incredible, the next, not so much. The interesting part is that it was the second night of a back to back stretch, you know, when conditioning and focus comes into play.

[Dick Allen]

And the very next night 2 points 1-7 shooting, 28 minutes, 5 fouls, 6 Reb, and 0-2 free throws.

 

That is my exact point. One minute he is just incredible, the next, not so much. The interesting part is that it was the second night of a back to back stretch, you know, when conditioning and focus comes into play.

Its time to rip everyone but Joe Smith then. Tyrus had a bad game, but what about Ben Wallace, Lou Deng, and is Hinrich trying to set a fouls committed record? Just remember when you are talking about Tyrus, he is a 21 year old kid. Unless you are Michael Jordan, or Lebron James , of that ilk, inconsistency comes when you that age. Aldridge didn't exactly light it up his second game after a 27 point opener.

Edited November 5, 2007 by Dick Allen

[southsider2k5]

Its time to rip everyone but Joe Smith then. Tyrus had a bad game, but what about Ben Wallace, Lou Deng, and is Hinrich trying to set a fouls committed record? Just remember when you are talking about Tyrus, he is a 21 year old kid. Unless you are Michael Jordan, or Lebron James , of that ilk, inconsistency comes when you that age. Aldridge didn't exactly light it up his second game after a 27 point opener.

 

Posted two hours and ten minutes ago...

 

http://www.talkbulls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2144

 

But then again, that would just be changing the subject to avoid what Scott Skiles has been talking about for a while now. Thomas needs to bring his game every night. If he would wake up to the fact that he just can't "out athlete" NBA guys every night, he has the potential to be a Shawn Marion type player.

[Steve9347]

Posted two hours and ten minutes ago...

 

http://www.talkbulls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2144

 

But then again, that would just be changing the subject to avoid what Scott Skiles has been talking about for a while now. Thomas needs to bring his game every night. If he would wake up to the fact that he just can't "out athlete" NBA guys every night, he has the potential to be a Shawn Marion type player.

minus the 3's.

[hitlesswonder]

But then again, that would just be changing the subject to avoid what Scott Skiles has been talking about for a while now. Thomas needs to bring his game every night. If he would wake up to the fact that he just can't "out athlete" NBA guys every night, he has the potential to be a Shawn Marion type player.

 

To say Thomas has to work on his game -- sure that's reasonable. To say he's a joke is ridiculous. Watch a Bulls game and tell me who on the team has NBA-level athleticism -- Thomas is the only one I've seen. Given that he's 21, I'd wait another season at least before deciding he can't raise his focus to an NBA level. You should look at players like Jermaine O'Neal and Al Harrington who both underwhelmed for several years after entering the league young. They ended up being legit NBA players.

 

You would have done better with a thread in asking if the Bulls have a single guard quick enough to play perimeter defense.

[southsider2k5]

minus the 3's.

 

If he worked on it, there is no reason he couldn't develop it. He doesn't seem to have bad technique or anything. He has already worked into decent mid-range shooter judging on the first three games of the year. If he puts in the time in the gym, I believe he could extend his game out there.

[rockren]

Wow, I'm shocked by this.

 

Let's just crown his ass. haha.

 

Seriously, his next 15 effort will probably be in December, but good point, he's erased everything from the past.

 

 

[Balta1701]

Some damn fine numbers put up by TT tonight. Double Double in the 3rd quarter. Career high 14 boards. Skiles had TT and Smith on the court as his 2 bigs down the stretch.

[Chisoxfn]

Tyrus had a great game and the Bulls got the first win. Better yet, next Saturday I'm gonna be at the Bulls/Clips game...WHOOO..can't wait.

 

This Sunday....I'll be in Oakland hopefully not getting stabbed to see the Bears/Raiders game.

[DBAHO]

Well at least TT and Smith can put the ball in the basket compared to Big Ben and Noah eh?

 

It has been a pretty good start to the season for Thomas though, and the Bulls have needed him to step up.

 

The Shawn Marion comparison is actually a pretty good one, and just on Marion I do love his shooting action when he's putting up 3's, it's very unique.

[SoxAce]

The only joke here is this thread (no offense at all Steve ) and I'm half-way saying this cause I'm one of the biggest (if not, THE biggest) Tyrus Thomas fan on this board. DBAH0, SoxFan1, or others can definitely tell you that.

[whitesoxfan101]

Tyrus is going to be improved, but inconsistent this year IMO. Thus, this will be a VERY long, back and forth thread, by the time late April arrives.

[rockren]

Tyrus is going to be improved, but inconsistent this year IMO. Thus, this will be a VERY long, back and forth thread, by the time late April arrives.

 

If Tyrus gets 30 plus every night- he'll have a great year.

 

But if he gets a few early fouls and only sees 20 minutes, then yes...he'll be up and down. The thing that bothers me is that Skiles falls in love with Noc at the 4 in the 4th quarter. So Ty could get lost on the bench late in the game, which is BS.

 

Whether or not TY is consistent this year- the sky is clearly the limit for this freak of a 21 year old.

[Steve9347]

The only joke here is this thread (no offense at all Steve ) and I'm half-way saying this cause I'm one of the biggest (if not, THE biggest) Tyrus Thomas fan on this board. DBAH0, SoxFan1, or others can definitely tell you that.

At the time it was posted, his work ethic and the inability to pass Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray (obviously now a ploy by Skiles) were in question.

 

I jumped the gun on this thread. After watching LaMarcus Aldridge dominate opening night and the next day seeing the stories about Tyrus' ethic pissed me off.

 

I was all about Tyrus on draft day, and I am extremely happy to see him play like he did last night (don't think I'm rooting against him!), but consistency will be an issue all year.

 

However, he's had two what I would consider monster games out of 5, and is looking much better than 2006-07, so I am very happy with what I have seen. I'll be at the UC tomorrow night, hopefully he dunks on Bargnani (taken 3 spots higher than him) a few times.

[rockren]

However, he's had two what I would consider monster games out of 5, and is looking much better than 2006-07, so I am very happy with what I have seen. I'll be at the UC tomorrow night, hopefully he dunks on Bargnani (taken 3 spots higher than him) a few times.

 

You lucky bastard.

 

Tyrus will be going against Bosh all night so he'll have a tough time. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ty put up some big plays and surprise Bosh, though.

[Steve9347]

You lucky bastard.

 

Tyrus will be going against Bosh all night so he'll have a tough time. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ty put up some big plays and surprise Bosh, though.

Yeah, Bosh has been rather hit or miss on the young season, and Toronto is struggling to get in a groove... but they did just split two with the Magic. We'll see. I think that first win was huge for the Bulls and they will come out rolling... but Bargnani/Bosh might give them fits.

[rockren]

Yeah, Bosh has been rather hit or miss on the young season, and Toronto is struggling to get in a groove... but they did just split two with the Magic. We'll see. I think that first win was huge for the Bulls and they will come out rolling... but Bargnani/Bosh might give them fits.

 

Hopefully they sit Big Ben down for a while. I'm not trying to make an excuse for Wallace, but he's a shell of his former self from last year. That ankle is bugging him even more than he's letting on.

 

Ben is doing nothing for us while he's in anyway. Let him rest up and get closer to 100% before we rely on him to be our enforcer inside again. Besides, this will allow Tyrus to play more. Tyrus/Smith/Noah/Noc and even Gray for a few minutes will hold up just fine for a few games inside for us.

[southsider2k5]

Granted it is a Sam Smith article, but the bolded quotes from Scott Skiles say it all. It sounds like me calling him lazy was being kind versus what Skiles said. This was just brutal.

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines

 

Rare Bulls risk isn't delivering

Skiles tries everything to reach Thomas

November 21, 2007

 

 

DENVER -- It didn't appear to be out of anger, deep and bubbling over after simmering for weeks, the result of the early-season frustration because of the Bulls slow start.

 

For Bulls coach Scott Skiles on Tuesday it appeared more a cumulative frustration as he seemingly is unable to dislodge the tantalizing talent of Tyrus Thomas at a time the Bulls remain in desperate need.

 

There has been so much hope for Thomas as a rare Bulls experiment, not exactly the usual, blue-collar solid guy model of the team, but an exceptional athlete whose ceiling seemed even above his uncanny leaping ability.

 

But you begin to wonder, though he is in just his second season, whether Thomas is going to be more promise than performance, a good idea that failed to develop.

 

That possibility ostensibly is what Skiles was contemplating in what was almost a plea before Tuesday night's loss to see more commitment and purpose from Thomas.

 

"I'm always in a difficult spot with a player like that," Skiles offered calmly and seemingly without rancor.

 

He seemed to understand where he was going with Thomas, a fan favorite because of his spectacular dunking and occasional brilliance in games. He has shown his promise, such as when he scored 21 points with 12 rebounds in a victory over the 76ers and had 19 points with 14 rebounds in another over the Pistons.

 

The excellence seems right there, but no one can quite grab it. It's like a fog, which Skiles seemed to suggest often envelops Thomas.

 

understand the fans see one side of it," Skiles said "We see the other. We know what's supposed to be done out there. We ask him to sprint the floor. To my knowledge in his career he hasn't done it one time.

 

"Not one time."

 

Still, Skiles gave Thomas an early run against the Nuggets. It perhaps was the team's worst individual display of the season. Thomas came in for Adrian Griffin with 7 minutes, 40 seconds left in the first quarter and the Bulls down six.

 

The first time Thomas touched the ball, he committed a turnover, stripped as he tried to drive. On the next possession, he committed an offensive foul. Then he fouled Carmelo Anthony on a drive. All this within 42 seconds before he was yanked in favor of rookie Joakim Noah with the Bulls down 18-8.

 

Skiles seemed determined to get something out of Thomas, bringing him back early in the second quarter as the Bulls opened with a 7-0 run before the Nuggets scored 13 straight.

 

tch when he gets in there," Skiles said Tuesday morning. "Is he jogging or is he sprinting the floor? So I have to look out not only for … 'Can somebody help me win a game tonight?' but balance that against trying to get him to be a high-level player.

 

"He's not going to be if he doesn't do that one thing. That's about all he has to do, change ends like a train. We have not been able to get him to do that.

 

"I'm not not playing him to penalize him for that. I went in a different direction. We played great in the Clippers' game. I didn't see any reason to disrupt the lineup. The Lakers game we were right there when they kind of blew the doors open.

 

Skiles had more to say.

 

"And that's just one thing," he said. "He doesn't have the habit of doing it, of being on all the time and into the game. He's much better than he was.

 

verbally telling someone and not getting the result … you have to try another avenue to get to them. That's just common sense. He's leaving an awful lot [of scoring] on the table by not doing that. We need that scoring. With our guys, the way they pass the ball ahead, if we take an early jump shot and you just run down the middle, there are tip-ins and rebounds, no one is boxing you out. He knows it. We show him over and over. It's something he has to do."

 

Asked about Skiles' comments, Thomas had little to say:

 

"He's the man who makes the call," Thomas said quietly. "I guess you have to adjust. It's as simple as that. There it is."

 

Where, exactly, is much more uncertain.

 

Thomas is going to continue to play. He has to because his trade value given the current situation is probably nil. The Bulls spent a No. 2 overall draft pick on him. He is still very young, having played just one season in college.

 

Did the Bulls give up on Tyson Chandler too soon?

 

Sometimes it takes awhile for a player to develop. Sometimes it doesn't happen. It's much more difficult to make an assessment of young players. Ask the Pistons about Darko Milicic. The Bulls want Thomas to run. Whether that's toward the exit will be the question.

 

[email protected]

[Steve9347]

But he had one good game at the beginning of the season so he's awesome now! Note the strong sarcasm.

[DBAHO]

Hmmm still seems like a lot of issues he has to work through here.

 

The talent there is obvious. But he has to want it, and he has to develop the NBA work ethic that's required, if he wants to stay in Chicago. Guys life Griffin and Wallace should be showing him what it takes.

 

There were stories of his selfishness at the Dunk Contest last season, so I can't really say seeing something like this is all that suprising.

[GoodAsGould]

bah screw Skiles, im done with him. It seems all he ever does is create conflict with players. I dont give a damn if Tyrus Thomas doesnt spring the floor in practice, I want to see him more in games instead of on the bench. Sometimes its his own fault because of fouls but other times its Skiles....

[whitesoxfan101]

Our coach has lost Tyrus, thanks Skiles!! Meanwhile, Aldridge, who everyone and their mother knew was a polished post scorer coming out of Texas, is averaging 18 and 7 for Portland. Thanks Pax!!

 

HEY JERRY, YOUR GM'S BOTH SUCK!! DO SOMETHING!!

[southsider2k5]

Our coach has lost Tyrus, thanks Skiles!! Meanwhile, Aldridge, who everyone and their mother knew was a polished post scorer coming out of Texas, is averaging 18 and 7 for Portland. Thanks Pax!!

 

HEY JERRY, YOUR GM'S BOTH SUCK!! DO SOMETHING!!

 

Jerry has brought 7 world titles to Chicago. He has done plenty.

[CWSGuy406]

There were stories of his selfishness at the Dunk Contest last season, so I can't really say seeing something like this is all that suprising.

 

That's a load of crap. He basically told the truth and old Sam Smith got pissed at him for saying the main reason he was going was for the money. I'd bet 90% of the guys are thinking the same thing, TT just had the balls to say it.

[nitetrain8601]

The money is the only reason most players go and it's the main reason why veteran dunkers no longer go. There's not much you get.

 

As far as Tyrus, I desperately wanted Aldridge(hell, all of my RealGM posts are flooded with McRoberts and LA love). I know though that Tyrus can be more explosive and I think the mindgames that Skiles tries to play with young guys is what screws them up along with his entitlement minutes(See Kirk Hinrich not getting benched but Tyrus does).