Countdown to the Draft: 60 Prospects in 30 Days by JNixon (36&35)

36: Deshaun Thomas, 6’7 220, PF/SF, Ohio State, Jr.

After 3 productive years and playing on a Final 4, an Elite 8, and Sweet Sixteen squad during his time at Ohio State, Deshaun Thomas put his name in the ring to get selected in the 2013 draft. Briefly declared for the 2012 draft to get feedback on his potential draft spot and things to work on to continue to raise his stock. Was an immediate contributor as a Fr., and had a 6th man role that utilized his knack for scoring. Put up outstanding ‘per minute’ numbers that season and had many expecting a breakout as a Soph. And he definitely did follow through for that Final 4 squad alongside current Celtics rookie Jared Sullinger. Came back as a Jr. and upped his scoring, rebound and assist numbers, but took a step back in terms of efficiency as he moved into the role of a 1st option scorer. Still, he lit up the scoreboard during his time in Columbus and is firmly on the draft radar. Very decorated HS player, and was the Indiana Mr. Basketball his Sr. season. McDonald’s AA as well. One of the most prolific scorers in the history of HS basketball in Indiana. Physically, Thomas has some limitations and is a bit of a question mark. He basically functions as a 6’7 PF, and with his weight loss (which was both good and bad) he plays at around 220-225. He did lose some of the excess weight he had early in his career and has maximized his athleticism, but he isn’t quite big enough for the PF spot in the NBA in some ways. Does have a good 6’11 wingspan that helps him somewhat though. Has a frame that can bloat if he isn’t careful. Athletically, Thomas is decent for the PF spot he likes to play, but he’s a step below average for the SF spot he will have to play at times. Not especially fast or explosive at all, and his quickness is pretty ordinary as well.

On offense, Thomas is a classic tweener, but he has a God-given knack for scoring the ball….Is able to score at all 3 levels and at his best he can do so in big chunks….Likes to play on the perimeter more than down low, but honestly he was much more consistent around the basket than he was from the perimeter in college…Doesn’t have a big array of moves, but he is good at using head fakes and just has an ability to find enough daylight to get shots up at the rim, even through contact and in the face of more physically gifted players….Shows an outstanding touch at the hoop and when shooting the ball…A southpaw, which makes him even trickier to defend…Nothing special as a ball-handler, but he is adequate, especially from the PF spot…Does a decent job drawing fouls…Sometimes is a little strong hand heavy, and is noticeably better as a scorer/shooter when he’s on the left side of the floor…Has NBA range on his jumper, but is best when he can spot up and shoot…Really consistent spot shooter and wont miss often when left open…Sometimes falls in love with the pull-up J, and is pretty inconsistent with that shot…Can put up points quickly with his jumper at times, and is a pretty confident player…Lack of great quickness makes him struggle to get to the rim off the bounce in most instances, and is probably why he settles for pull-ups so much…Not really a transition player…Moves well without the ball…Pretty good mismatch player though, and his knack for putting the ball in the hoop is a weapon that will likely make him a player in the NBA…Doesn’t pass the ball much at all…Good FT shooter…Pretty composed player

Defensively is where Thomas’ tweener status hurts him, as he isn’t really a very good defensive player right now…Doesnt have the athleticism to really effectively defend SF’s and isn’t big enough to defend most PF’s either…Struggled in college with defending stronger PF’s, so in the NBA he probably will struggle as well…Not really a high effort player on this end either…Not a very good rebounder either…Will likely never be a quality defender at the NBA level

Overall, Thomas is a natural scorer who can put the ball in the hoop from close range, in between and from the 3. He really seems like a guy who can be a scoring threat off the bench for an NBA team. The lefty’s game is a bit unorthodox, and he plays the game at his own speed, and I think some of his skills just cant be taught. His lack of size, average athletic ability and his nonchalant attitude to defense are troubling and will limit him a bit, but he has skills that can definitely help a team. He also seems like he plays best when he has other offensive focal points on his team, which will likely happen in the NBA. Look for him to be an Al Harrington type player (less size and athleticism) in the NBA, and a possible steal in the 2nd round. Wouldn’t surprise me if he was selected in the late 1st round either. He HAS to watch his weight though.

35: Glen Rice Jr., 6’6 211, SF/SG, Georgia Tech/Rio Grande Valley (D-League), 22 years old

He looks nothing like his dad. Amazing. But Glen Rice Jr. is another prospect in this draft class with an interesting background story. He started his career at Georgia Tech, where he played 3 years and was a prospect who had his share of ups and downs as a player. Wasn’t really a prospect at GT, but was a contributor every year he was there. He was marred by character concerns, including as many as 3 suspensions for violating team rules with former coach Paul Hewitt and current coach Brian Gregory. Then finally it all fell down, when a GT grad assistant drove his car intoxicated and a passenger in the car fired a gun by a nightclub. He was arrested and charged with permitting unlawful operation and kicked off the team in early 2012. Since, he went to the NBDL and began to turn his life around and he developed into a very good player in the league and has firmly put himself on the draft radar. He will have to answer plenty questions about his character in the interview process for the draft. Physically, Rice shows good tools. He stands around 6’6 with a decent 6’9 wingspan, and has put on around 15 lbs since he was at GT and now has grown into his body nicely. He still has some room to grow, but he definitely looks like a legit NBA SG now, as opposed to at GT. Rice has always been a nice athlete. He shows a good level of explosiveness and speed, and his leaping ability measured out at 40 inches at the combine. A little heavy footed, but not as much as he used to be.

On offense, Rice has a calling card, and it is his jumper….Not surprise considering who his father is….Not quite as good a sharpshooter as his dad, but he definitely can stick them…Is an outstanding spot-up shooter, and this will probably be his calling card offensively in the NBA as well…Wasn’t particularly efficient in college, but you could always see the potential, and he became very good in the D-League…Shows good confidence and a natural stroke…Has the ability to hit shots off screens and occasionally off the bounce, but definitely is a better spot-up guy, especially with space…Ball-handling skills need improvement…Still can be slowed down by the ball a bit and doesn’t have the greatest command of change of direction and speed moves yet…Is good at taking what the D gives him when they close out aggressively on his shot, and he looks good finishing at the rim when he gets there…A little heavy footed in his 1st step, and he still is growing into his feet a little…Pretty good strength…Can definitely play in transition, and is a good open floor finisher…Not afraid to finish above the rim and will definitely try to dunk on guys…Sometimes shows a habit of getting his feet stuck into the floor with his arms out and his hands open on the perimeter instead of cutting to the rim in the half court…Good at ‘making himself skinny’ around the rim to hit creases and get easy scoring chances…Shot selection isn’t always great…His skill set does need some fine tuning overall, but he isn’t really that raw of a prospect…Average at drawing fouls and getting to the line, and is just as average at hitting FT’s…Plays best when he has unselfish teammates who look to make kickout passes…Not likely to be a standout shot creator or a high level scorer, but has the groundwork needed to develop into a valve player for guards

Defensively, Rice Jr. has good ability and has been a high upside defensive player since college…Sometimes will fall asleep, but he also makes plays on this end and his length can bother guards at times….Looks good defending smaller guards…Contests well and will get some blocks at times on perimeter jumpers with his size and athletic ability…Good rebounding ability on the wing too…Has the size and athleticism to defend SG’s and a lot of SF’s too in time

Overall, Rice Jr. has his share of concerns in terms of his character and such, but his production with Rio Grande Valley really showed his progress over the past year or so. He has a good jump shot, and he’s become a more standout athlete with the more strength and weight he’s added to his frame. He also shows good defensive potential and the ability to rebound. He isnt a shot creator really and his IQ is not great overall, but he has made very good strides as a player. There are teams that are willing to gamble on him, especially if they find that he really has matured, and his bloodlines don’t really hurt either, and I could see Rice Jr. being a late 1st rounder or 2nd round pick given his production and the fact that he stayed out of trouble in the NBDL.