Defense
The defensive end of the floor is where Thomas will face the most questions but he should answer them pretty fast.
As a man-to-man defender, he moves his feet well, showing the quickness necessary to guard 1-3. Because of his length and lateral agility, he not only can bottle up opposing ball-handlers but make blocks away from the rim. At the same time, he has a high enough motor to guard multiple players on the same possession.
Then, when Thomas is away from the ball, he’s shown a legitimate nose for it. As a matter of fact, his knack for jumping passing lanes is arguably his most important defensive ability. Facing the best players in the world, an NBA defender isn’t always going to be able to stop a player from scoring straight-up. However, every team in the world has to pass the ball, and frequently. Therefore, Thomas’s ball-hawking can always be useful, even if he finds himself matched up against a truly gifted scorer.
To add, Thomas’s ability to turn defense to offense is one of his greatest skills individually. The Pittsburgh native routinely pickpocketed or intercepted opposing players, getting out in transition. His ability to create four-to-six point swings on any given possession shouldn’t be taken lightly in a game with such tight margins.
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