Keith Thomas Impact

This guy is a Fox writer and owes Marillac $.

@ReidForgrave: Watching @StJohnsRedStorm practice. New name will make big impact: Keith Thomas, who led jucos in rebounding last year. Big, tough, worker.

This guy is a Fox writer and owes Marillac $.

@ReidForgrave: Watching @StJohnsRedStorm practice. New name will make big impact: Keith Thomas, who led jucos in rebounding last year. Big, tough, worker.

I love seeing posts like these.  Give him a hard hat and send him to work.

KT = Mitchell Foster

We need him to rebound, play defense in the post and provide some scoring.
I am really high on what Keith brings to the team...

KT = Mitchell Foster

We are going to need more than that out of Thomas. I liked Foster but he was a 4 and 4 guy.

Quote from: bigmaxnosauce on October 21, 2014, 12:10:24 PM

KT = Mitchell Foster

We are going to need more than that out of Thomas. I liked Foster but he was a 4 and 4 guy.

Looks more like Grady Reynolds to me.

The next Charles Oakley?
Rebound, play hard defense, sacrifice his body (Charles dove out of bounds for loose balls), and when someone comes in the lane for a layup, put him on his ass.
Get a few buckets too.

Quote from: Celtics11 on October 21, 2014, 01:21:57 PM

Quote from: bigmaxnosauce on October 21, 2014, 12:10:24 PM

KT = Mitchell Foster

We are going to need more than that out of Thomas. I liked Foster but he was a 4 and 4 guy.

Looks more like Grady Reynolds to me.

I once rode to the Bronx Zoo with Grad Reynolds and Showtime in Showtime's SUV for an environmental biology class.  Weird ride.

He definitely is not in game shape right now but has a nose for the ball off misses.  I liked what I saw but not sure he can play big minutes right away given his conditioning.  Whitesell says seemed to indicate that he and Adonis would battle for minutes and that they might play small ball until the new bigs get up to speed.

He definitely is not in game shape right now but has a nose for the ball off misses.  I liked what I saw but not sure he can play big minutes right away given his conditioning.  Whitesell says seemed to indicate that he and Adonis would battle for minutes and that they might play small ball until the new bigs get up to speed.

Howd did Jones and Amar look?

Jones had knee surgery a few weeks ago.  Lavin did not indicate when he would be back.

Amar looked like a rotation player to me.  He's about 6'9 and strong with a very smooth 3 point stroke.  He seems like the kind of kid who could make a big impact the second half of the season.  I liked what I saw - he is a big east level player

Jones had knee surgery a few weeks ago.  Lavin did not indicate when he would be back.

Amar looked like a rotation player to me.  He's about 6'9 and strong with a very smooth 3 point stroke.  He seems like the kind of kid who could make a big impact the second half of the season.  I liked what I saw - he is a big east level player

I will say that Whitesell did not cite him as a guy who would definitely be getting minutes.  My first impression was that he could play significant minutes at the 4 - especially if Jones is not in the rotation. 

If I had to guess, I'd say that we might start small early in the year - Obekpa, Pointer, Harrison, Greene, Jordan - then move Thomas and Amar into the mix as the season progresses.  Just my $0.02

this guy impressed me with his work ethic. He hustled up and down the floor every single time!!! He also had a knack to get his hands on every missed shot

Love the time he couldn't get his hands on a rebound so volleyed it out towards mid court and we re-started the offense.

He definitely is not in game shape right now but has a nose for the ball off misses.  I liked what I saw but not sure he can play big minutes right away given his conditioning.  Whitesell says seemed to indicate that he and Adonis would battle for minutes and that they might play small ball until the new bigs get up to speed.

Thomas needs some conditioning before he can play big minutes?   Interesting

Quote from: Gray Chudney on October 21, 2014, 08:29:08 PM

He definitely is not in game shape right now but has a nose for the ball off misses.  I liked what I saw but not sure he can play big minutes right away given his conditioning.  Whitesell says seemed to indicate that he and Adonis would battle for minutes and that they might play small ball until the new bigs get up to speed.

Thomas needs some conditioning before he can play big minutes?   Interesting

Very interesting, considering how built he looks.

Gotta remember cardio Keith!

Quote from: Gray Chudney on October 21, 2014, 08:47:01 PM

Jones had knee surgery a few weeks ago.  Lavin did not indicate when he would be back.

Amar looked like a rotation player to me.  He's about 6'9 and strong with a very smooth 3 point stroke.  He seems like the kind of kid who could make a big impact the second half of the season.  I liked what I saw - he is a big east level player

I will say that Whitesell did not cite him as a guy who would definitely be getting minutes.  My first impression was that he could play significant minutes at the 4 - especially if Jones is not in the rotation. 

If I had to guess, I'd say that we might start small early in the year - Obekpa, Pointer, Harrison, Greene, Jordan - then move Thomas and Amar into the mix as the season progresses.  Just my $0.02

Lavin mentioned Obekpa, Pointer, Harrison, Greene and Jordan as a line up that would press. I like it.

Quote from: Gray Chudney on October 21, 2014, 08:29:08 PM

He definitely is not in game shape right now but has a nose for the ball off misses.  I liked what I saw but not sure he can play big minutes right away given his conditioning.  Whitesell says seemed to indicate that he and Adonis would battle for minutes and that they might play small ball until the new bigs get up to speed.

Thomas needs some conditioning before he can play big minutes?   Interesting

Just one practice/scrimmage, so who knows.  But he was noticeably slow in transition for a guy who was really active on the boards and was just as winded as Adonis was. 

Quote from: desco80 on October 22, 2014, 01:36:31 PM

Quote from: Gray Chudney on October 21, 2014, 08:29:08 PM

He definitely is not in game shape right now but has a nose for the ball off misses.  I liked what I saw but not sure he can play big minutes right away given his conditioning.  Whitesell says seemed to indicate that he and Adonis would battle for minutes and that they might play small ball until the new bigs get up to speed.

Thomas needs some conditioning before he can play big minutes?   Interesting

Just one practice/scrimmage, so who knows.  But he was noticeably slow in transition for a guy who was really active on the boards and was just as winded as Adonis was. 

I hear ya. Lavin did say that this was first practice at the Garden, and that the new guys are getting acclimated to this level of basketball. Keith Thomas went from guarding the center on Monroe College and Laguardia to Chris Obekpa, a guy with 2 years of experience and more blocks than anyone in the history of our program.

I think he will definitely help us, but I also think it will take him some time before he's playing at a BE level. Those who compared him to Ty Grant are nuts. He's nothing like Ty. Much more like Ron Roberts. Grant would throw crazy up and unders and his footwork inside was great. Asking that of Thomas isn't fair.

If he plays as well as he presented himself during the fan interactions he will make first team BE.