Bulls should re-examine Thomas' late-game role
Maybe Tyrus Thomas was a disappointment for the Bulls during their first-round playoff loss to Boston.
He averaged 9.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks during the epic seven-game series, while playing slightly less than Brad Miller (10.3 points, 7.9 rebounds) and far less than Joakim Noah (10.1 points, 13.1 rebounds).
Coach Vinny Del Negro frequently turned to a three-guard offense during the series, sometimes using John Salmons at power forward. The lineup was generally effective and usually caused the Celtics to change lineups, but it also meant the Bulls needed Noah's height in the game.
Reflecting on Thomas' third pro season as a whole, though, there appears to be conflicting roles and maybe different goals for the 6-foot-9 forward.
Plenty of people envision Thomas playing like ex-Bull Dennis Rodman someday, focusing on defense, rebounds and using his great athleticism to make plays around the basket. Thomas seems to have more of a small forward role in mind, with a midrange offensive game similar to Luol Deng.
Maybe it's possible to blend a little of both. As the Bulls try to crawl closer to becoming a true playoff contender, they should consider the possibility of Thomas playing more like a small forward.
Sure, that role doesn't fit the Bulls' personnel at all right now, with Deng and Salmons penciled for playing time at small forward. But this could be a gradual transition that makes sense in the long run.
"(Thomas) is a young player and he's got to find his niche and continually develop and make decisions on what he wants to be - inside player, outside player," coach Vinny Del Negro said last week after the Game 7 loss. "He's got to get stronger. But that's what the summer is all about. He's a young kid trying to find his way and it's our job to help him."
It's tough to ignore this fact about the Celtics series: The Bulls played four competitive games in Boston, but their only win came in Game 1 when Thomas hit the clutch shots down the stretch. He scored 6 of the Bulls' 8 points in overtime, including the game-winner on a 21-footer with 50 seconds remaining.
Thomas was rarely on the floor at the end of the 3 losses at the Garden. In Game 5, when Paul Pierce won it by canning 3 straight jumpers in overtime, it was easy to wonder if a taller lineup could have made a difference, with Thomas guarding Pierce and the 6-7 Salmons on Ray Allen.
After Game 7, Thomas didn't speak to reporters and appeared to be upset about his limited role. He needs to handle those situations better, but it's tough to knock him for wanting to play a part in deciding the series.
Go ahead and grimace when Thomas lines up his jump shot, but keep this in mind: He has nice form, works hard on his skills and would most likely shoot a better percentage with more attempts. He can also jump over people to get his shot off, which is one of the basic fundamentals of late-game success.
The third-year forward from LSU still has plenty to learn, but he won't turn 23 until August. He gets shot-faked into the air too easily, his shot selection can be questionable and sometimes his engine seems to be running at 50 percent capacity.
He can score around the basket but doesn't improvise well. That is, if he heads to the hoop and a defender jumps over to block his path, he doesn't always have a backup plan. That's probably a byproduct of being a late bloomer in basketball and needing more experience.
The best chance for the Bulls to reel in the East's elite teams is to utilize their two spectacular athletes - Thomas and Derrick Rose. If the Bulls have any chance of slowing down LeBron James in the future, it's with Thomas leading the defensive effort. Maybe not for a full 48 minutes, but he's best equipped to guard James or Pierce when a game is on the line.
On offense, maybe it's not a such bad idea to game plan Thomas taking 10 jumpers per game, keeping him sharp for late-game situations. The results might be surprising.