NBA Draft Profiles: Isaiah Thomas, Washington

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Stats: 16.8 ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.0 t/o's, 34.9% 3PT

Age: 22, junior

Size:

• Listed: 5'10", 190 lb
• Official: 5'9" (no shoes), 5'10.5" (with shoes), 6'1.5" (wingspan), 7'8.5" (reach), 187 lb

Strengths: Thomas has what I like to call football player athleticism -- he's quick, he's explosive, he's strong, and he knows how to use that quickness, that strength, and that explosion. He's got a nice, tight handle and excels at using his dribble to get into the paint and create. In the lane, Thomas has the body control and the compact build to bounce off of defenders, as well as the finesse game to score inside with a series of floaters and layups. As his junior season progressed, Thomas developed into a very, very dangerous player in the pick-and-roll. He's not a great shooter -- either off of the catch or the dribble -- but he has a bit of a reputation for hitting some clutch shots. The biggest factor (which we will get into in a bit) is that Thomas showed the ability to play the point after Abdul Gaddy went down with a torn acl.

Weaknesses: He's tiny. He's 5'10" on a good day, and it just is not easy to make a career out of this sport at that height. It doesn't help that Thomas is at his best when he has the ball in his hands and he is creating. Is he quick enough to get by NBA point guards that have six inches on him? Can he finish in the paint when every team has two guys pushing seven feet with length and hops defending the rim? Can he become a consistent enough three point shooter to make himself a real threat? At 6'2", Thomas is a serious point guard prospect. With a skill set like Ty Lawson's, Thomas is a first-round lock. But shot-first, 5'10" combo-guards aren't exactly what NBA GM's are looking for.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Nate Robinson. The obvious comparison, given both went to UW, are sub-six foot, have crazy athleticism, and appear to be natural scorers. Robinson is a spark of energy off the bench in the NBA and can bring instant scoring, which Thomas is easily capable of doing with his talents-and even demonstrated a nice passing dimension this past season. If Thomas can continue to develop his point guard game, JJ Barea may be an even better comparison. Barea was a big-time scorer in college that has become a sparkplug and a back up to Jason Kidd in Dallas.


• Worst Case Scenario: Pooh Jeter. One of the more underrated players in the league, Jeter killed it in the NBDL but got shafted most of his professional career because of his size. Great quickness and natural scorer who’s finally getting a shot with the Kings, and making the most of it. Similar type scenario might strike if Thomas doesn’t make an impact off the bat in his career, but not a bad 'worst case scenario' at all.

Outlook: There is, simply put, one single issue that will determine whether or not Thomas becomes an NBA player -- was this past season a fluke? Washington's starting point guard Abdul Gaddy went down with a season ending knee injury early in Pac-10 play, forcing Thomas -- who, up until that point in his career, has been considered an off-guard -- into the role of primary point guard. And he flourished. He finished the season averaging 6.1 apg, a number that was bumped to 7.2 apg in the last 22 games of the season. Thomas proved to be sensational in the pick-and-roll, whether he was attacking with the dribble or setting up a teammate. If he can become that kind of instant-offense spark off the bench, someone will find a spot for him. But if he can't embrace playing the role of back-up point-guard, Thomas won't be long for the NBA.

Draft Range: Mid-to-late 2nd Round.

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "Thomas remains an enigma to me. He is one of the smallest players in the draft -- which is normally a really bad sign (he measured 5-foot-9 in socks, and even that seems tall for him). But he's built like a linebacker, is an explosive athlete (he measured a 39.5-inch vertical in New Jersey) and is very tough physically. I was really impressed, in 3-on-3 action, with his ability to finish in traffic. He can take a lot of contact and still get the ball in the hoop, a la Derrick Rose. He also proved this season that, unlike Nate Robinson, he has some legitimate point guard skills. He made a number of good reads in the competitive 3-on-3 games I saw, and he played very unselfishly."


• Draft Express: "Looking at his point guard abilities, Thomas has matured substantially since we last profiled him, showing much better instincts and outstanding court vision. This 180 degree change in production and mentality as a playmaker makes all the difference in evaluating his draft stock, as it was nearly impossible to envision him making it in the NBA as a 5-9 shoot-first combo guard."


• Swish Scout: “Natural scoring guard with a compact build, explosive athleticism, and playmaking ability with the ball in his hands. While Thomas was a clutch shooter who flashed some nice potential to play the PG position, he’s very undersized for a guard and a 'shoot first' player, but could have a similar type NBA career as his fellow UW predecessor Nate Robinson."

Highlights: