JNixon-Iggy9’s Countdown to the Draft: 60 Prospect in 30 Days (50&49)

50: Norris Cole, 6’2 174, PG, Cleveland State, SR.

The box-cut man himself, Norris Cole was one of only 3 players (Tu Holloway of Xavier and 2011 prospect Charles Jenkins the others) to put up 20 ppg, 5 boards and 5 dimes. He had a brilliant career and a spectacular Senior season for a decent Cleveland State team. Physically, Cole has a mediocre physical profile. He’s a 6’2 guard with a short wingspan and a thin frame with OK bulk. Athletically, Cole has just decent quickness, speed and leaping skills.

A weapon for the mid-majors at Cleveland State. He doesn’t have a stand out anywhere or with any skill, he’s good at a lot but not great at anything. He’s a PG with sold ability to find the open man when not asked to do too much. He isn’t Rajon Rondo or Chris Paul, but he was a solid playmaker. In the NBA he wouldn’t be asked to do much more than make basic passes as is. A solid shooter. He’s not a 40% guy or a pure gunner, but he does show NBA range and can be a big factor especially when he’s hot. Can shoot off the dribble with decent effectiveness too, making guys pay in the 12-15 ft area when he’s sagged off of. OK quickness and 1st step as a slasher. Not a great ball-handler for a potential NBA PG, but he does have an understanding of how to set up his 1st step with jabs and change of pace dribbles. Won’t get to the rim as easily in the NBA as in college, so his mid-range will have to continue to hold up its efficiency. Doesn’t look like a guy who will finish with consistency against NBA bigs, as he lacks the length and explosiveness. He can get create, but how often would that work? Not all that turn over prone for how much he had the ball. Shot selection at times was shaky, but he had the ball more than he will in the NBA.

Cole has the tools of an ordinary defender at the PG spot. He’s not very tall, lacks length, and only shows mediocre lateral quickness. He does play with fundamentals and moves his feet pretty good, especially for the role he had. Not going to force TO’s or get into the passing lanes, but he will be a decent defender on ball. Plays with energy on this end. A solid rebounder for a 6’2 guard with average athleticism and physical tools.

A prospect who had a great season, Cole looks like a guy with a lot of decent skills and no standout traits. His shot, slashing, and defense are all OK for NBA standards but nothing extraordinary or anything that separates him from other guards. He might be better off in Europe, at least at 1st, but he is a solid prospect for the end of the 2nd round for a team.

49: Isaiah Thomas, 5’10 187, PG/SG, Washington, Jr.

One of the more fun guys to watch in college ball over the past 3 years would have to be the waterbug Isaiah Thomas. Named after the great Pg of the Pistons because his dad was a huge fan, Thomas was an electric scorer as soon as he set foot on Washington’s campus. Always drew comparisons to former Washington Husky with comparable size Nate Robinson. Left handed. Physically, Thomas is tiny. At 5’10 187, he would be one of the smallest players ever picked if he were to be taken in the 2011 draft. Has a fairly bulky 187 lb frame, but he’s still remarkably small for an NBA combo guard, or PG for that matter. As an athlete, Thomas is very much so above average to help somewhat compensate for his lack of size. He’s a very quick player and he has good speed, although not as great as a lot of other smaller guards. His leaping ability is great as well when he gets a running start, but he’s not as explosive a leaper as a Nate Robinson or another small guy like Ty Lawson by any stretch.

On offense, Thomas has great intrigue and talent. He was a combo guard in his 1st 2 years and a good bit of last season, and showed some flashy skills and a nice arsenal of moves and shots. The southpaw is not a great shooter and he doesn’t have the ability to create great looks consistently because of his small nature. Has to change his release to get his shots off cleanly against closeouts, and it makes him inconsistent. Solid with his feet set and with time from as far as NBA range. Has a quick release and his elevation is solid. Off the dribble he can make shots and shoots a lot of shots this way, but not with great consistency right now. That will certainly have to improve at his size, as he will need to be able to make shots and his dribble will be needed to get space to get his shot off. As a slasher, Thomas has a ridiculous 1st step and a great handle as well, so he’s able to find his way to the rim. He is small, so a lot of the time he’s forced to use floaters and runners to get his shots off, and he does these things with effectiveness. Sometimes he’ll slash to the rim and look for opportunities to finish emphatically and show of his athleticism, but usually he relies on quick flip shots. Finishes well at the rim for a 5’8 guard, but he is in good position because he has the floaters and flip shots if that doesn’t translate, which could very well happen at his size. Thomas showed much more PG skills this season, when pure PG Abdul Gaddy went down with injury he was outstanding in his stead while still being a 1st option scorer. He’s not a pure PG by any stretch, but with his explosive 1st step he creates well off the bounce and can make some nice passes in the teeth off the D. Looks good using the pick and roll, as he can score or make precise passes with the space it creates, and has the ability to split easily at his size and with his quickness. Excellent in transition, and makes good decisions and nice passes even at full speed. A pretty flashy player, and therefore is turnover prone. Overdribbles a good bit. Shaky shot selection at times.

Thomas is going to be too small to be more than a pest in the NBA. His lateral quickness is great, but he’s too small to obstruct a PG’s floor vision or too contest most shots. He might be able to get steals on ball-handlers if they fall asleep at the wheel though. Will be a post-up magnet. Good rebounder for his size.

Overall, Thomas has some nice scoring tools and the quickness to translate his game as a scoring guard in some ways. His 1st step and overall quickness are extremely strong, and he has the shots to help him overcome his height in situations where he gets to the 12 feet area. He doesn’t have the sweet jump shots that guys like Nate Robinson, JJ Barea and Ty Lawson have as scoring guards who lack size, but he does have a good mid-range game to compensate in some ways. If his range catches up with his mid-range game and a team falls in love with his exciting and flashy style, he will have a role. It will take the right team and an open role as an instant offense piece, but he certainly has the scoring arsenal and quickness to be a spark off the bench.