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

[DZ83CK]

OK, so we're on the record, billmac thinks DT is going to stick in the NBA and I think he won't. I just don't see it happening because of defense, he's just too small and too slow.

 

[Buckskin86]

Class Buckeye - Deshaun Thomas

With the 58th pick of the 2013 NBA draft, the Spurs selected a rare breed from Ohio State, a 6-foot-7 forward who led the Big Ten in scoring and the NCAA in class.

Meet Deshaun Thomas, one of the most popular Buckeye athletes in history, regardless of sport. He arrived in the fall of 2010 as Indiana Mr. Basketball, a phenom who committed to Ohio State before he started high school in Fort Wayne. He left not with a national championship or a slew of school records -- but with deep respect and admiration that reached across campus and beyond.

What did he do? Smith wrote a letter. He crafted a four-paragraph appeal to the editor of the school newspaper, The Lantern, that generated applause and wonder.

Thomas asked the newspaper to give successful athletes in other sports more coverage. He cited by name a wrestler who had won a national title, a fencer who had captured a gold medal and two gymnasts who had secured Big Ten titles.

?I wish all athletes could receive the attention that our football and basketball teams get,? Thomas wrote. ?They all deserve to be celebrated.?

The athletes Thomas mentioned by name were stunned. What basketball star had ever done that before? Disbelief gave way to gratitude and the good feeling spread. Thomas received hundreds of tweets, texts, emails. He walked into the Younkin Success Center -- a gathering place for studying and tutoring -- and received rock star treatment.

There were hugs, high-fives, backslaps, an outpouring of affection. ?A lot of people shook my hand and congratulated me,? Thomas says.

A lot of those people were athletes in non-revenue producing sports. Sarah Miller, a Big 10 champion in the balance beam, led the way after her name appeared in the letter.

?She was very surprised,? Thomas says. ?She said, ?Thank you, Deshaun. That was so special.? She sent me the same thing in a text. I also heard from baseball and soccer guys. Everybody was so happy.?

cont...

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/130701_rodriguez_deshaun_thomas

Deshaun stashed in Europe?

The day after the NBA draft last week, The Post-Standard of Syracuse, N.Y., reported that the San Antonio Spurs were set to take Syracuse forward James Southerland with the No.58 pick in the draft but wanted him to spend next season in Europe. Southerland and his agent declined.

By now, you know the Spurs instead used the pick the select Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas. They profiled both the 6-foot-7 Thomas and 6-8 Southerland as perimeter shooting specialists.

I text-messaged Thomas? agent, J.R. Hensley of ASM Sports, twice in recent days to ask whether he and Thomas agreed to the Spurs? proposal. I have not received a reply, which might in itself be the answer.

cont...

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/con...-deshaun-thomas-already-bound-for-europe.html

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Yu8NacT7o"]Deshaun Thomas to Europe? - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Diego-Bucks]

I don't see immediate playing time for DT in San Antonio. At least, not meaningful playing time. The Spurs have a pretty deep rotation and I see Kawhi Leonard increasing his minutes from 32 to around 38-40 per game in the next 2 seasons. I could see DT getting maybe 10 minutes per game. FYI, Ginobili declared he is staying for 2 seasons (not sure what his role/projected minutes per game will be though).

SOURCE

It would make sense for DT to go to Europe to improve his game while the Spurs are this deep.

 

[Buckskin86]

Summer League: Deshaun Thomas video interview 7 10 13

 

[Buckskin86]

Deshaun Thomas Scores 18 In Spurs Debut

Updated: Saturday, 13 Jul 2013

You only get one chance to make a first impression and Fort Wayne native Deshaun Thomas made a good one Friday night for the Spurs.

The Bishop Luers grad scored 18 points in 33 minutes of action in leading the Spurs to a 69-67 win over the Bobcats in the opening game for each team in the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League.

Thomas - who was in the starting line-up for the Spurs - was San Antonio's second round pick (58th overall) in last month's NBA draft.

The leading scorer last year in the Big Ten, Thomas wasted no time in his first game as a pro. The Ohio State product scored 11 points in the first 15 minutes of action against Charlotte.

He finished 7-of-13 from the field, 2-of-4 from the three-point line, and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe.

Thomas also grabbed three rebounds and tallied two steals.

Thomas and the Spurs don't play Saturday, but play again Sunday night when they face the Raptors at 10:30 p.m. eastern.

http://www.wane.com/dpp/sports/local_sports/deshaun-thomas-scores-18-in-spurs-debut

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4s92pB3_4M"]DeShaun Thomas Summer League Full Highlights vs Bobcats (7/12/2013) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

DeShaun Thomas had another nice night shooting the ball, scoring 16 points on only nine shots. Again, he was mainly a shooter out of pick-and-pop plays, and spotting up from the free throw line. Defensively he had his miscues, missing some rotations and being a little late on closeouts. But, the effort was there, and that's extremely important for him. Keeping that effort level, that energy level high in the future could bode well for him.

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/7/15/4524030/las-vegas-summer-league-recap-spurs-vs-raptors

Box Score 7 14 13

 

[DZ83CK]

DT is making his case for the Spurs with some strong scoring performances in the summer league his first 3 games there. His 2013 college season was the best season scoring performance any individual at OSU has had since Redd, in my opinion. Now, others have had better seasons in terms of all-around play since then, but scoring-wise nobody else avoided being shut-down in any game for a whole year like DT and had such consistent and efficient production. His contributions in the other areas of the game don't stand out positively in any aspect, but his scoring ability is NBA-level - that is the dilemma for him moving forward, whether his point production is enough to override his lack of any other major contributions.

It's still going to be tough for him to make the Spurs roster as there are so many moving parts and moves to be made. His ability to make the roster might be eliminated solely by the Spurs re-signing another player and just not having any more room. DT may deserve to make the roster and still not make it because they have other needs. The Spurs are going to have to decide if DT's scoring ability merits a roster spot in spite of his modest play in the other aspects of the game. Will be interesting to continue to monitor.

 

[Buckskin86]

Deshaun Thomas Scores 17 In Spurs Win

Updated: Tuesday, 16 Jul 2013

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (WANE) - Fort Wayne native Deshaun Thomas continued his high-scoring ways Monday night in Las Vegas as the Spurs beat the Hawks 99-87 to improve to 2-1 in Summer League play.

A Bishop Luers graduate, Thomas scored 17 points against the Hawks - 10 in the second half. He went 7-of-15 from the field, 2-of-4 from behind the arc, and 1-of-2 from the free throw line.

In three games in Las Vegas Summer League play Thomas is averaging 17 points a game.

Thomas was San Antonio's second round pick - 58th overall - in last month's NBA draft.

http://www.wane.com/dpp/sports/local_sports/deshaun-thomas---game-three

Box Score- 7 15 13

 

[NastyNatiBuck]

that is the dilemma for him moving forward, whether his point production is enough to override his lack of any other major contributions.

I agree. That is why I think he is a great fit for the Spurs. Their 2nd team is great on defense, but couldn't score against the Heat. They need someone who can be an offensive spark off the bench.

 

[Buckskin86]

Deshaun Thomas scoring, fighting for Spurs' spot
Fort Wayne native keeps showing his offensive flair
By Reggie Hayes of The News-Sentinel
Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Deshaun Thomas remains in the audition stage with the San Antonio Spurs, thrown into a basketball mixture of ?America's Got Talent? and ?The Apprentice.?

The Spurs drafted Thomas with the 58th pick in the second round last month, a sign they like what they see. But late second-round picks come with no guarantees. Plus, the Spurs only have essentially one real roster spot remaining, with restricted free Gary Neal or comeback-bound Greg Oden as possible players for that spot.

All Thomas can do is perform, be judged, take some advice and perform again.

So far, he's making the Spurs' decision a tough one.

Thomas has averaged 17 points and five rebounds per game in three NBA Summer League games, shooting 54 percent from the field and hitting half of his three-pointers.

The conversion from a scorer in college at Ohio State (and before that at Bishop Luers High School) to scorer in the NBA, summer version, has been a smooth one.

?Pop's going to put demands on him that are going to require him to play differently than he did at Ohio State, but he can score,? Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said Monday on NBA-TV, evoking the style of coach Gregg Popovich.

?He can score in a lot of places on the floor and with Deshaun, his attitude and eagerness to learn and grow has been overwhelming over the first week. We haven't had him a long time and a lot of things need to go well for him to maximize his opportunity, but there is a hole in our roster behind Kawhi (Leonard) right now, and we're looking forward to what Deshaun brings and how his approach has been so far.?

cont...

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130717/SPORTS/130719737/1007

Buford discusses Thomas and possibility of earning 15th roster spot

Written by Paul Garcia on Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Before the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Atlanta Hawks in their third Summer League game on Monday evening in Las Vegas, Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford joined the NBATV commentators in the third quarter to answer a few questions regarding the Spurs and in one question, discussed Deshaun Thomas, the Spurs' 58th pick who would go on to score 17 points in the game.

Buford on Thomas and the chance of playing for San Antonio next season:

?Pop?s going to put demands on him that are going to require him to play differently than he did at Ohio State, but he can score. He can score in a lot of places on the floor and with Deshaun, his attitude and his eagerness to learn and grow has been overwhelming over the first week, and we haven?t had him a long time and a lot of things will need to go well for him to maximize his opportunity, but there is a hole in our roster behind Kawhi (Leonard) right now and we?re looking forward to what Deshuan brings and how his approach has been so far.?

As you read and hear the answer from Buford, it sounds like he?s speaking in the ?Deshaun will be apart of this team? context at some points, but the statement ?a lot of things will need to go well for him to maximize his opportunity? also stays as a reminder that the vacant 15th roster spot may not be his just yet or at all.

With the Spurs already set with 14 roster spots filled for next season, the 15th space is up for grabs and could be reserved for restricted free agent Gary Neal if the price is right, as Buford indicated last week. Even early Tuesday morning another rumbling from the Greg Oden rumor mill stated the Spurs and Miami Heat are still the favorites to land the big man as well.

For Thomas, through three games he?s allowing his productivity on the floor to be his biggest pitch to San Antonio as he?s averaging 17 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 2.3 fouls, shooting 54% from the field, 50% from 3-point range, and 83% from the free throw line in 28.7 minutes per game. He's even averaging more points per game than the three Spurs veterans in Vegas, Cory Joseph, Nando De Colo, and Aron Baynes.

cont...

http://www.projectspurs.com/2013-ar...-possibility-of-earning-15th-roster-spot.html

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2mfb-L2wfU"]DeShaun Thomas Summer League Full Highlights vs Hawks (7/15/2013) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Deshaun video interview- 7 16 13

9. Deshaun Thomas : SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Based off the Spurs' success at finding gems late in the second round, it should be no surprise if Thomas pans out. For the third straight game, Thomas put up solid numbers, finishing with 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting. Through three games, the swingman out of Ohio State is averaging 17 points on 54 percent shooting and is 6-for-12 from behind the arc. The 58th pick looks comfortable and plays in control while showing off a smooth lefty stroke. -- July 15

http://www.nba.com/rookie-ladder/#ranking9

 

[DZ83CK]

Kind of strange for analysts to be lauding the Spurs as much as they are for drafting Thomas considering A) They would've taken James Southerland instead but he declined the option of spending a year in Europe, and B) The Spurs don't even know if DT will make the team and they could just as easily let him go as sign him. Yes, he has had a good summer league showing, but those other facts are getting glossed over in the rush to pat the Spurs' front office on the back.

 

[stowfan]

If the Spurs let him go, I would be shocked if he isn't picked up by someone.

 

[Mike80]