Bruce Thornton made a strong first impression in his first practice with the Houston Rockets, and the former Ohio State guard knows how blessed he is to be in the position he's in.
www.elevenwarriors.com
“He’s Like a Little Bowling Ball Out There”: Bruce Thornton is Already Turning Heads with the Houston Rockets
“He’s a tank,” said Rockets assistant coach Will Dunn, who will serve as head coach of the summer league squad. “You can see it right away. He’s like a little bowling ball out there.
“He’s physical, he’s strong, he’s got a really tight handle. So when you guard him, you’ll feel it, for sure,” he continued. "And that’ll also allow him defensively to do some switching and stuff like that. A guy his size might not normally be able to, but he’s got that physicality, where it will allow him to."
While Thornton has work to do to transition his game to the NBA level, he’s confident he can make an impact as a rookie no matter how much playing time he sees.
"Me just filling in my role at a high level, doing the things they need me to do," Thornton said on draft night of how he wants to contribute for the Rockets. "Impact winning as much as I possibly can and be a great teammate in the locker room."
The Rockets will take part in the Las Vegas Summer League from July 9-19 with four games scheduled: July 10 vs. Denver Nuggets (6:30, ESPN2), July 11 vs. Toronto Raptors (9:30, Prime Video), July 14 vs. Philadelphia 76ers (4:00, Prime Video) and July 16 vs. Brooklyn Nets (4:30, ESPNU).
Thornton hopes to make a name for himself beginning in Summer League, then carry that momentum into the rest of the offseason ahead of his rookie campaign. But no matter where his NBA career goes from here, Thornton knows how blessed he is to be in the position that he's in, something he will never take for granted.