For Tyrus Thomas, life keeps getting better
NBA draftniks can't help themselves, even in Chicago where the Bulls were considered one of the big winners coming out of the 2006 NBA Draft. Before the names were called, Bulls fans salivated over stories of Tyrus Thomas jumping out of NBA practice facilities all over the country. He was their guy, the one they wanted.
When they got him, the more critical comments emerged. Tyrus Thomas: too young, too skinny and too short for his position. The Bulls needed impact, not development.
That all changes today.
The Bulls grabbed the brass ring in the free agent class of 2006 in Ben Wallace, a 6-9 "center" with monster physical and defensive skills. Sound familiar? In addition, the Bulls are also rumored to be trading away Tyson Chandler for P. J. Brown, another high-caliber, experienced post player.
What Wallace and Brown bring to the Bulls is a fighter's chance at an Eastern Conference championship in 2007. What they bring to Thomas are two guys who have had to earn everything they've got in the NBA through hard work and sheer determination.
Another knock on Thomas is that he didn't have the greatest coaching at LSU. With Wallace and Brown aboard, that point, fair or not, is moot. Thomas can develop under their tutelage and the coaching moxie of Scott Skiles without the added pressure of having to be a rookie sensation such as fellow Bulls teammates Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni.
Don't get me wrong; Thomas still has much to prove in a city fresh off of the aforementioned Chandler and Eddy Curry fiascos. But, Bulls fans will have more patience with Thomas than they would have had just a day ago.
When they got him, the more critical comments emerged. Tyrus Thomas: too young, too skinny and too short for his position. The Bulls needed impact, not development.
That all changes today.
The Bulls grabbed the brass ring in the free agent class of 2006 in Ben Wallace, a 6-9 "center" with monster physical and defensive skills. Sound familiar? In addition, the Bulls are also rumored to be trading away Tyson Chandler for P. J. Brown, another high-caliber, experienced post player.
What Wallace and Brown bring to the Bulls is a fighter's chance at an Eastern Conference championship in 2007. What they bring to Thomas are two guys who have had to earn everything they've got in the NBA through hard work and sheer determination.
Another knock on Thomas is that he didn't have the greatest coaching at LSU. With Wallace and Brown aboard, that point, fair or not, is moot. Thomas can develop under their tutelage and the coaching moxie of Scott Skiles without the added pressure of having to be a rookie sensation such as fellow Bulls teammates Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni.
Don't get me wrong; Thomas still has much to prove in a city fresh off of the aforementioned Chandler and Eddy Curry fiascos. But, Bulls fans will have more patience with Thomas than they would have had just a day ago.
posted by Anonymous at 9:29 AM
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