Is Jason Thompson Going For Real?

He's got good height and athleticism and is still developing physically as in he's going to put on more weight/strength. He's very mobile for a big man and is putting up nice numbers for a big man in his rookie year. He's for real and will only get better. I don't understand this so called concept of "players putting up numbers since they're on bad teams". That is the biggest BS I've ever heard. If a player puts up numbers there's a reason for why they're putting up numbers and it's usually cause they're GOOD. Of course there's rare exceptions like Mike James in Toronto where he put up great numbers on a bad team but we all know he is a good, oops, let me re-iterate, was a good player at one point in time especially when playing for a big contract.

Here's a couple different examples:

Stromile Swift. He couldn't put up numbers on a sorry Grizzlies team or a Rockets team that was severely lacking a quality 4. Why? It's cause he sucks. Jason Thompson does not.

Another example: Mo Williams. Many people thought he just put up big numbers in Milwaukee because they're a bad team. He's playing better and putting up equal numbers on a contender now.

There's a couple more exceptions like playing for Jerry Sloan's team or playing next to a great PG i.e Marion when he had Nash, K-mart when he had Kidd, Chandler/West being spoon fed by CP3. However, the point I'm trying to make is if your consistently putting up solid numbers especially in your rookie year as a big man without a great PG chances are your pretty damn good.

 

I think Thompson is a guy that surprisingly hit the ground running as a rookie and has done better than anyone thought. Some of it has to do with getting 25 mins/game on a sorry team. I think he will be a 15/9 16/10 guy for a few years.

I remember the stunned reaction when the Kings drafted him at #12. They are the ones laughing now.

 

I saw Jason play when my roommates and I went to the Kings Celtics game in Boston. He was very surprising. He finished well with both hands around the basket, had a solid array of post moves, did not shy away from contact, and overall showed that he is definitely a player in this league.

On top of his finishing skills, he's also long and athletic. I am pretty impressed.

 

Jason Thompson and Donte' Green - The frontcourt of the future

 

He's one of my favorite rooks.