duncan228
01-13-2009, 03:22 AM
Edit: They took the 'finally' out of the headline.
Thomas rounding into form for Spurs
Thomas finally rounding into form for Spurs (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Thomas_finally_rounding_into_form_for_Spurs.html)
Jeff McDonald
His legs are beginning to feel like they belong to his body again. His wind is coming back. His semi-famous mid-range jump shot is beginning to go down with some regularity.
Spurs forward Kurt Thomas is feeling spry, at least as spry as is possible for a 36-year-old NBA player.
Finally.
“It took me a while to get it all figured out,” Thomas said.
Thomas missed nearly all of the preseason after arriving at training camp with a strained hamstring. He spent the first few months of the season working out the bugs in his game and getting his legs back under him.
Since taking back-to-back DNPs (Did Not Play) in early December, Thomas has emerged as a key member of the Spurs' rotation. Lately, he has been the first big man deployed off the bench.
Thomas is in the midst of one of his better stretches since joining the Spurs last season, doing all the dirty-work little things on which his 14-year NBA career has been built.
He scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting in a loss to Orlando on Sunday. He had nine rebounds in 17 minutes in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers last week.
In a victory at Miami, also last week, the 6-foot-9 Thomas played an understated but all-important role, supplying 17 minutes of toughness. Just ask the Heat's Daequan Cook, who for the second time this season left a game thanks to an errant Thomas elbow.
“Having him back in the lineup, getting another body on the boards, that's going to be huge for us as the season moves on,” Tim Duncan said. “He's going to play better and better.”
This is the Thomas the Spurs thought they were getting when they traded for him last February, then re-signed him to a two-year contract worth $8 million over the offseason.
For a while, however, they had to be wondering where their money went.
Thomas showed up at training camp already injured, straining a hamstring while stretching before an offseason workout. He spent most of his preseason being tortured by strength and conditioning coach Mike Brungardt.
By the time the season began, Thomas' hamstring healed. But his body wasn't ready to play NBA basketball.
He played nearly 27 minutes in the season opener against Phoenix and 21 two nights later at Portland, but otherwise wasn't much of a factor during November.
“I wondered what the hell to do with him, why we signed him,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Then he came to me one day and said, ‘OK, I'm ready to go now.'”
Popovich's conclusion?
“He doesn't need me,” Popovich said. “He's been in the league a long time, and he knows when he's ready to go.”
While most of Spurs fandom spent the early part of the season wringing its hands over the injury saga of Manu Ginobili, Thomas was quietly toiling in the background, working his way back into game shape.
The way Thomas saw it, all he needed to get back into playing form was time.
Not time on the practice court. Not time on the exercise bike. But real, actual, bona fide NBA game time, playing basketball.
“Nothing is like actually being out there on the floor,” Thomas said. “You can do all the sprints in practice, all the conditioning on the treadmill or the Stairmaster. Nothing can compete with game time.”
Thomas' teammates say they knew he'd come around eventually.
“Nothing he's doing now surprises me or surprises anybody on the team,” swingman Michael Finley said. “He's been doing it in practice. We see it there, and he's just carrying it over to the game.”
Thomas hopes to do more such carrying over in the weeks and months to come.
On Wednesday, the Spurs face the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time since last season's Western Conference finals. Much as he did in the playoff meeting, Thomas should play a prominent role in the rematch.
Now that he has won the battle with his own body, Thomas is up for it.
“My body's starting to come around, my conditioning is there,” Thomas said. “My legs feel like they're under me, and I'm shooting the ball well. Just hope it continues.”
Thomas rounding into form for Spurs
Thomas finally rounding into form for Spurs (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Thomas_finally_rounding_into_form_for_Spurs.html)
Jeff McDonald
His legs are beginning to feel like they belong to his body again. His wind is coming back. His semi-famous mid-range jump shot is beginning to go down with some regularity.
Spurs forward Kurt Thomas is feeling spry, at least as spry as is possible for a 36-year-old NBA player.
Finally.
“It took me a while to get it all figured out,” Thomas said.
Thomas missed nearly all of the preseason after arriving at training camp with a strained hamstring. He spent the first few months of the season working out the bugs in his game and getting his legs back under him.
Since taking back-to-back DNPs (Did Not Play) in early December, Thomas has emerged as a key member of the Spurs' rotation. Lately, he has been the first big man deployed off the bench.
Thomas is in the midst of one of his better stretches since joining the Spurs last season, doing all the dirty-work little things on which his 14-year NBA career has been built.
He scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting in a loss to Orlando on Sunday. He had nine rebounds in 17 minutes in a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers last week.
In a victory at Miami, also last week, the 6-foot-9 Thomas played an understated but all-important role, supplying 17 minutes of toughness. Just ask the Heat's Daequan Cook, who for the second time this season left a game thanks to an errant Thomas elbow.
“Having him back in the lineup, getting another body on the boards, that's going to be huge for us as the season moves on,” Tim Duncan said. “He's going to play better and better.”
This is the Thomas the Spurs thought they were getting when they traded for him last February, then re-signed him to a two-year contract worth $8 million over the offseason.
For a while, however, they had to be wondering where their money went.
Thomas showed up at training camp already injured, straining a hamstring while stretching before an offseason workout. He spent most of his preseason being tortured by strength and conditioning coach Mike Brungardt.
By the time the season began, Thomas' hamstring healed. But his body wasn't ready to play NBA basketball.
He played nearly 27 minutes in the season opener against Phoenix and 21 two nights later at Portland, but otherwise wasn't much of a factor during November.
“I wondered what the hell to do with him, why we signed him,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Then he came to me one day and said, ‘OK, I'm ready to go now.'”
Popovich's conclusion?
“He doesn't need me,” Popovich said. “He's been in the league a long time, and he knows when he's ready to go.”
While most of Spurs fandom spent the early part of the season wringing its hands over the injury saga of Manu Ginobili, Thomas was quietly toiling in the background, working his way back into game shape.
The way Thomas saw it, all he needed to get back into playing form was time.
Not time on the practice court. Not time on the exercise bike. But real, actual, bona fide NBA game time, playing basketball.
“Nothing is like actually being out there on the floor,” Thomas said. “You can do all the sprints in practice, all the conditioning on the treadmill or the Stairmaster. Nothing can compete with game time.”
Thomas' teammates say they knew he'd come around eventually.
“Nothing he's doing now surprises me or surprises anybody on the team,” swingman Michael Finley said. “He's been doing it in practice. We see it there, and he's just carrying it over to the game.”
Thomas hopes to do more such carrying over in the weeks and months to come.
On Wednesday, the Spurs face the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time since last season's Western Conference finals. Much as he did in the playoff meeting, Thomas should play a prominent role in the rematch.
Now that he has won the battle with his own body, Thomas is up for it.
“My body's starting to come around, my conditioning is there,” Thomas said. “My legs feel like they're under me, and I'm shooting the ball well. Just hope it continues.”