NBA Comparison: E’Twaun Moore/Seth Curry

Strengths: A 6’3 200 lb perimeter scoring machine (4th in the NCAA w/ 23 ppg as a Fr.) with supreme confidence and “in the gym” range on his shot … Comes into the draft after breaking all kinds of scoring records at every stop of his amateur career, and its easy to see why when you watch how aggressively he seeks out ways to put shots up … Can be absolutely deadly when he gets rolling, fills it up in bunches and is a true volume scorer in every sense, mostly preferring to use his jumper to do damage … Is a 3-level microwave scoring threat who can torch the defense creating off the bounce, spotting up or working off screens and can easily shoot from NBA range in any of those ways … When working off ball, Thomas often looks JJ Redick-esque by constantly moving and looking to free himself of defenders for open shots by utilizing screens to get the ball … With the ball, Thomas is crafty and does a good job of getting downhill and using subtle crossovers and step backs when driving in either direction to create space for his shots, while also showing the ability to make some advanced moves like a turnaround over his left shoulder from 15-18 ft or sidestep gather jumpers from 3 ala James Harden … Not afraid to take heavily contested jumpers, and shows plenty of promise in doing so (especially from mid-range) because of his shot-making ability, high shot release and wiry strength to finish through contact … Has a floater in his mid-range bag as well … Good open court player, will run the floor looking for spot up 3s or slash to the rim in transition and be opportunistic after turnovers … Has a good feel for attacking closeouts and a nice 1st step, can stick a 1 or 2 dribble pull up almost in his sleep if the defender runs him off the 3-point line … No problem getting to the foul line and makes few mistakes when there (7.6 FTA per game on 88%), has already began to master the ability of using the defenders aggressiveness against them by getting them to bite on his pump fakes or seeking contact on the way to the rim … Came in and was one of the most productive scorers in all of college hoops, and did so on a very experienced team with multiple potential NBA prospects besides him … Could see his efficiency rise with less usage and one role to focus on …

Weaknesses: A bit one-dimensional as a player, mostly wired to score and doesn’t really contribute much in any other areas of the game … Though he seems to have decent length, his physical and athletic profiles are average at best for the backcourt prospect he’s projected to be … Not the fastest or most dynamic player, and while he is agile it seems he has a hard time reaching his 2nd gear to get all the way to the rim with consistency off the bounce … Saw a good number of his shots near the rim get blocked as a Fr., doesn’t really play above the rim much even with a head of steam … Will never be confused for a floor general on the court, and though he will inevitably be asked to defend both guard spots, it is difficult to project him to be a combo guard offensively (1.4 apg) … Has a floater in his arsenal, but its inconsistent at the moment … Forces a large amount of low percentage, contested shots as a player who uses his jumper as his main tool to score (40% from the field, 32% from 3), shot selection needs improvement and would go a long way to making his offensive efficiency rise…Pretty streaky 3-point shooter, was no stranger to slumps during the conference schedule … Doesn’t pass much, when he gets the ball he usually is looking to let it fly and some may consider him to be a “black hole” offensively … Not a devoted defensive player, does little to make things difficult for whoever he guards and rarely will fight to get back in plays after getting caught in a screen or beat off the dribble … Even though he was the top scorer on his team, he was generally 2nd or 3rd in the pecking order as the players who were asked to take late shots for LSU in the clutch this past year …

Overall: Thomas is a prolific scoring guard and really had some big games throughout his Fr. season, lighting up the scoreboard on a very experienced and talented LSU team … Played well in the NCAA Tournament, and tied Zion Williamson and Kevin Durant for most points for a Fr. through their 2 tournament games (57) … Was a highly regarded recruit in VA and seemed to use being a notable McDonalds All-American game snub as motivation to show that he’s one of the best amateur players around…To get an idea of just how special he is at getting buckets, he is the all-time leading scorer in Oak Hill Academy’s storied history, a school that has an alumni full of HS basketball royalty … He’s a fun player to watch and a pretty smooth operator who makes scoring in chunks look easy at times as he hit shots from all over the court … Still he needs to keep working on his 3-point shooting eye, even though his range and touch are both high level, and pick his shots better to maximize his ability as a scorer … He’s not the most physically gifted prospect and is considered to be a one trick pony, and some even think he plays a selfish brand of basketball, but you can’t argue with or ignore the type of production and success he’s seen with his playing style … Whether he starts or is brought off the bench, you know he will be able to put points on the board and that will make him a relatively high floor prospect in 2021 class …

Notes: Measured 6’1.5′ with a 6’6″ wingspan and 189.6 lbs at the 2019 Nike Skills Academy … Did not attend the 2021 NBA Draft Combine or get measured …

Jorrye Nixon 5/6/21