F DeShaun "The Diesel" Thomas (Panathinaikos - Greece)

[stowfan]

http://www.csnwashington.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/thomas-raises-eyebrows-nba-combine

 

[LitlBuck]

After leaving Ohio State with a season of eligibility remaining, Deshaun Thomas said he was confident he could persuade NBA scouts that he should be drafted in the first round on June 27 and not the second. But his numbers at the draft combine last week in Chicago do not support his argument.

Thomas shot well, according to reports, but he lacked agility and quickness. He completed the stop-and-start lane-agility drill in 12.94 seconds, slowest among the 51 players who were timed. His time of 3.53 seconds in the three-quarter court sprint was the slowest for his position and fourth-slowest overall.

Thomas said before the combine that he had become fitter and trimmer during his month of training away from Columbus, but his 9.1 percent body fat was the sixth-highest.

Mock drafts on ESPN.com and DraftExpress.com rate Thomas as a midsecond-round pick.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/sto...-buckeye-thomas-doesnt-sizzle-at-combine.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Chicago Bulls Rumors ‏@chicagobullsbot

NBA Draft: Chicago Bulls also privately worked out Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas

https://twitter.com/chicagobullsbot/status/341887607036321792

Steve KylerVerified account ‏@stevekylerNBA

The more I see of Deshaun Thomas the more I think he can be a decent player at the next level. big strong and can shoot it

https://twitter.com/stevekylerNBA/status/340535982900256768

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntDDHYi39do"]Deshaun Thomas Draft Combine Interview - YouTube[/ame]

 

[MaxBuck]

Steve KylerVerified account ‏@stevekylerNBA

... big strong and can shoot it

Nailed it.

 

[matcar]

Nailed it.

The thing that always impressed me about DT was his knack for being close to/around the ball around the rim. For a guy how really isn't that quick or tall, he just has a nose or instinct for the ball and times things well. This ability enabled him to get looks and putbacks that others do not. He seemed to do good work under the basket in spite of relatively limited athletic ability.

 

[Buckskin86]

Thomas Looks To Remove Doubt
By Lori Schmidt
97.1 The Fan Thursday June 6, 2013

Former Buckeye Deshaun Thomas is hoping that by giving teams an up-close look at his game, he?ll improve his draft stock, and after his workout with the New York Knicks, the 6?7″ small forward said he feels like the process has been going well.

?It?s been a great experience,? he told reporters, pointing out that he has additional meetings lined up with the Wizards*, Cavaliers, Clippers?

?And, of course, the Pacers,? he finished with a smile.

Thomas played his high school ball about 2.5 hours away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse, so it?s natural that he would love to be taken when Indiana makes the 23rd pick.

However, he realizes it?s going to take a lot of work to make that happen.

?The most important thing was getting my motor up,? he said. ?I got my body fat down to probably 8 percent.?

Thomas was the Big Ten?s leading scorer last year. The NBA Draft is June 27th.

*Thomas ended up going through drills with Washington today. You can read about that here.

http://www.971thefan.com/content/stories/2013/06/06/Thomas_Looking_To_Remove_Doubt.html

 

[CentralMOBuck]

The thing that always impressed me about DT was his knack for being close to/around the ball around the rim. For a guy how really isn't that quick or tall, he just has a nose or instinct for the ball and times things well. This ability enabled him to get looks and putbacks that others do not. He seemed to do good work under the basket in spite of relatively limited athletic ability.

75% of rebounding is positioning (aka blocking out). If you have good position the last thing you have to do is go up and get the ball.

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnVS_8H_1_I"]Deshaun Thomas 2013 NBA Draft Workout - Ohio State Basketball - SLAM Magazine & CityLeagueHoops - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckeye86]

The Club Tril shirt is a nice touch.

 

[Buckskin86]

Former IndyStar Mr. Basketball DeShaun Thomas has pre-draft workout scheduled with Pacers
Jun. 12, 2013

Former Fort Wayne Luers High School basketball star DeShaun Thomas is scheduled for a predraft workout with the Pacers on Thursday. Will Clyburn (Iowa State), Troy Daniels (Virginia Commonwealth), C.J. Leslie (North Carolina State), Alex Oriakhi (Missouri) and James Southerland (Syracuse) are also scheduled to work out.

Thomas, the 2010 IndyStar Mr. Basketball, averaged 19.8 points and 5.9 rebounds for Ohio State as a junior. He is ranked the No. 48 prospect by www.draftexpress.com.

The 6-7, 220-pound Thomas scored 3,018 points in his high school career, No. 3 all-time in Indiana behind Marion Pierce (3,019) and Damon Bailey (3,134).

http://www.indystar.com/viewart/201...Thomas-has-pre-draft-workout-scheduled-Pacers

 

[Buckskin86]

June 14, 2013
Thomas shooting for pro career
Justin A. Cohn | The Journal Gazette

INDIANAPOLIS ? Deshaun Thomas grew up in awe of former Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller?s ability to score.

The former Bishop Luers and Ohio State standout tried to put on a Miller-like shooting display Thursday morning in front of about 10 members of the Pacers? coaching and front-office staff on the same practice court at Bankers Life Fieldhouse that Miller once roamed.

?I grew up watching Reggie ? Reggie Miller ? and I loved the Pacers. I grew up watching all basketball, even Michael Jordan and I grew up in the Kobe (Bryant) era, and I was a Pacers and a Chicago fan. But I just loved the game,? said Thomas, who was part of a six-player pre-draft workout for the Pacers.

Thomas, who is foregoing his senior year, has already worked out for eight teams and there could be nine more auditions before the NBA draft on June 27 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Projections have him all over the place ? CBS Sports? Matt Moore and Gary Parrish have him going in the second round, while ESPN?s Chad Ford has him potentially not getting picked ? but Thomas has no regrets about leaving Ohio State early.

Thomas averaged 19.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists as a junior. He helped the Buckeyes go 29-8 and reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Wichita State.

?I?d been thinking about it and it was my time after last season to come out,? Thomas said. ?It was my time to take my game to the next level and take my game to the next stage. There?s been no second-guessing.?

cont...

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130614/SPORTS20/306149965

In his words: Deshaun Thomas talks on professional future

Former Bishop Luers star would enjoy playing for Indiana Pacers
News-Sentinel staff report
Friday, June 14, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS - Former Bishop Luers High School and Ohio State standout Deshaun Thomas speaks with the media regarding a number of topics following a workout for the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday.
On following the Indiana Pacers:

?It felt good to be here at home (in Indiana) and putting it on for the Pacers. I wouldn?t hate it if the Pacers drafted me. I grew up watching Reggie Miller. I love watching the Pacers.

?I was rooting for the Pacers this year. They had a great team. They play well as a team. They play good defensively as a team. They have heart. They had a great season and hats off to them.

?I saw how they competed and they have a good coaching staff. They are coming up. They just need to get over that hump against Miami.?
On his role in the NBA:

?I see myself fitting in as a great scorer. ?I?ll compete and have fun, and I have great character and willing to do what it takes to win. That?s what this league is all about is having great character and winning.?
On spending time in Indianapolis this spring:

?I?ve been here since after the season, since April. I?ve been working out at St. Vincent, getting my body right, getting my body fat down. I?m going to be that guy that comes out in these workouts with great energy and be in good shape.?
On preferring a specific team in the NBA to play for:

?I really don?t know where I am going to land. When I land at that place, I know that it?s going to be a blessing.?

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130614/SPORTS/130619766/1013

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp8nf7MtFi8"]Fort Wayne Native DeShaun Thomas Works Out For Pacers - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3knLPMn49T4"]Deshaun Thomas Works Out For Indiana Pacers - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN9IxWjV5PU"]Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

DeShaun Thomas Works Out for Hometown Team
by Scott Agness | @ScottAgness

June 13, 2013

It took Deshaun Thomas just 16 minutes - via a car - to get from his Embassy Suites room to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday. He was one of six prospects the Pacers brought in ahead of the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27.

"It feel good to be here at home, and put on for the Pacers," Thomas said. "I wouldn't hate it if they draft me. It would be a good experience to be home."

Thomas' travel was short and didn't require a plane ticket because he's been training for the draft in Indianapolis since April, working out with Chris Thomas at St. Vincent Sports Performance. At the conclusion of the college season, Deshaun Thomas, who averaged 19.8 points (on 44.5 percent shooting) and 5.9 rebounds per game this year, decided to forgo his senior season at Ohio State and enter his name in the draft.

"I felt like it was my time to take my life to the next level and my game to the next stage," he said. "I stuck with [the decision to turn pro] and there's no second guessing at all."

Related: Draft Workouts Notebook: Oriakhi, 3-Point Shooters, and Praise for Pacers ?

Thomas, 21, is an Indiana native. He was born in Fort Wayne and was a McDonald's All-American out of Bishop Luers High School. He won the prestigious Indiana Mr. Basketball award in 2010. During his sophomore and juniors seasons (in 2008 and 2009) at Bishop Luers, he led his school to consecutive appearances in the Class 2A state finals.

Now, he's trying to earn his way into the NBA, a dream of his from a very young age. He described himself as a competitor, a great scorer with great character and a fun guy that wants to badly win in the professional ranks.

Thomas has gone through eight workouts so far and expects another eight or nine before the big day in two weeks. He said it's a grind, much like a job, where each day he must go in and perform at his best.

"The process is fun," Thomas said. "It's a blessing. There's a lot of kids wishing they could be in our shoes so you got to take it as a blessing and work at it and work at it. It's been kind of challenging because you don't know where you're going to end up at.

"The jet-lag is crazy. It's a little bit tiring but it's all about rest and being a pro's pro. You got to eat right, drink a lot of water and get enough sleep."

The 21-year-old makes sure teams see his energy and conditioning during the workouts, which usually last about 75 minutes. Most teams have been working him out at the small forward. He prefers the "3" spot because it's a versatile position for a versatile player like himself, who can space the floor, take his man off the dribble and score in a number of ways.

One guy Thomas has leaned on is a fellow Indiana Mr. Basketball winner - Greg Oden (2006). Oden was taken by Portland with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, so he's been through the process and understands the demands of the NBA.

While Thomas grew up in what he described as the Kobe Era, he continues to closely follow his hometown team. He even had to educate some of his friends on what the Pacers all about.

"They had a great team," he said of the Pacers' 2013 season. "They played well as a team. They played good defense as a team and just had heart. I wish they would have gotten over that hump. I was rooting for them. They had a great season.

"Some of my friends didn't think the Pacers were that good, but I knew they were always that good. I watched the Pacers. I seen how they compete, [have a] good coaching staff and they're coming up. They just need to get over that hump against Miami."

http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/deshaun-thomas-works-out-hometown-team

 

[Buckskin86]

Kings notes: Familiar face at workout a bit odd for ex-Buckeye
Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas hadn't seen Chris Jent since the end of the Buckeyes' season.
By Jason Jones and Ailene Voisin; [email protected]
Published: June 19, 2013

Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas hadn't seen Chris Jent since the end of the Buckeyes' season.

When Thomas saw Jent on Monday during his predraft workout in Sacramento, the former Ohio State assistant had a new job ? Michael Malone's lead assistant with the Kings.

The 6-foot-7 Thomas, a possible second-round draft pick by the Kings, admitted it was "a little bit" odd to see Jent in his new role.

"I'm used to seeing him over at Ohio State," Thomas said. "He made a big decision. He had to make a decision for his family, and it's good to see him."

While Jent is noted for his ability to improve the perimeter shooting of players, Thomas said his former coach does so much more.

"Coach Jent was more of an intensity guy," Thomas said. "He also coached on the defensive end, too, out there just being active and showing that good effort. And he's a good offensive coach."

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/...s-familiar-face-at-workout.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Buckskin86]

Bob Baptist ‏@BBaptistHoops

Phoenix is 9th team @DT1UpNComin has visited. Said he has 4-5 more to go thru next Wed: Spurs, maybe Nuggets, Nets, Hawks, Pistons.

https://twitter.com/BBaptistHoops/status/347475680038092800

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O42QENv02qI"]Deshaun Thomas: Kings Pre-Draft Workout Interview 6/18/13 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpazc_ivZXs"]Kings Pre-Draft Workout: Deshaun Thomas 6/18/13 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

NBA: Ohio State's Thomas hoping scoring, energy elevate him in draft

Kyle Robertson | dispatch
Deshaun Thomas will need to switch from power forward to small forward to make it in the NBA.

Thomas? destination?

Teams that Deshaun Thomas worked out for, or is scheduled to, and their second-round position(s), if any, in the NBA draft:

Cleveland 31, 33

Philadelphia 35, 42

Sacramento 36

Detroit 37, 56

Washington 38, 54

Atlanta 47, 50

Chicago 49

Minnesota 52, 59

Indiana 53

Phoenix 57

San Antonio 58

Brooklyn None

New York None

By Bob Baptist
The Columbus Dispatch? Sunday June 23, 2013

Some of his test results at the NBA predraft combine a month ago were not what he hoped they would be.

Since then, Deshaun Thomas has traversed the country, trying to show NBA teams he has value beyond those numbers.

Whether he was successful will be known on Thursday night in the NBA draft. The 30 teams will select a total of 60 players. Thomas, the leading scorer in the Big Ten last season as an Ohio State junior, is not certain to be among them.

He believes that there is a place for him somewhere.

?A lot of guys in the NBA have roles ? where they knock down shots or bring great energy,? he said last week while in Phoenix awaiting a workout with the Suns. ?I look at a guy like (San Antonio Spurs guard) Danny Green, who can knock down shots, who isn?t that good on the defensive end but he gets a lot of deflections just by playing as hard as he can. I can play a role like that.?

Green was cut by both the Cleveland Cavaliers, who drafted him, and the Spurs in 2010 before establishing himself this season as a perimeter shooting threat, particularly in the playoffs. He set a record for most three-pointers made in an NBA Finals.

Dan Dakich, a former college coach and now an ESPN analyst, also mentioned Green when asked whether there is a place for Thomas in the NBA. He said Green finally stuck in the league ?because he figured out, ?It?s important to me.? Basketball is really important to Deshaun.?

The other thing, Dakich said, is that Thomas has a knack for scoring in different ways, either from the perimeter or around the basket in traffic.

?If I was an NBA team, I would draft him,? Dakich said. ?I don?t know where, but if I liked him even a little, I would draft him. He can score, and if you watched the NBA Finals, if you can score, if you get on the right team, you can play.?

cont...

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/con...ping-scoring-energy-elevate-him-in-draft.html