Spurs to sign Malcolm Thomas

[Bruno]

407309000552636416
407309637638037504

[LakerHater]

407309000552636416

[benefactor]

Good call up. He's been playing well.

[benefactor]

http://www.nba.com/dleague/playerfile/malcolm_thomas/

[Chinook]

Yeah. I wonder what kind of contract he'll get. I think he can't fit into the MLE, so it's a min deal. But for one or two years? And how much guaranteed? It will say a lot about what they expect from him.

[Bruno]

His plays of the two D-League games he had this year before being called up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8sYHjrqUbE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc-2zDojBpA

[Chinook]

http://www.nba.com/dleague/playerfile/malcolm_thomas/

I can't embed on my phone, but his profile has links to the games this season on YouTube.

EDIT: Lol, just got beat like Gary Neal.

[HarlemHeat37]

How long until he develops a cult following on SpursTalk like the many end of bench players before him, tbh?:lol..

[tim_duncan_fan]

I see that he's 6'9, but what's his playing style? I see that he shot more than a couple threes in those 2 D-League games.

Is he mobile? I don't remember his 3-game stint with us.

[jeebus]

lol. so long Josh Howard. I guess Pop isn't happy with the lack of SFs and Green is being a piece of shit....

[Bruno]

I really like that signing. Spurs have some true spacing and mobility issue in the frontcourt. Thomas is an athletic mobile PF that seems to have developed a 3 point shoot. On the paper, he exactly fit Spurs needs.

Now, we will, of course, see if he is good enough or not to make it.

[timtonymanu]

Chinook brought it up in another thread but I hope this isn't due to Boris Diaw being seriously hurt.

[benefactor]

Looks like he's worked on his game. His stroke looks better than I remember. If he can keep hitting that 3 he's got a shot at sticking as the hybrid SF/PF player the Spurs are looking for.

[benefactor]

How long until he develops a cult following on SpursTalk like the many end of bench players before him, tbh?:lol..
My nigga Hairston was screwed tbh. :wakeup

[bklynspursfan]

Anyone know if this coincides with Diaw's finger injury?\ and him possibly missing some time? Haven't seen an update on it yet

[Floyd Pacquiao]

interesting signing. it at least shows the FO is looking to improve the wing depth. right?

[Bruno]

Anyone know if this coincides with Diaw's finger injury?\ and him possibly missing some time? Haven't seen an update on it yet

I would say that Diaw's injury isn't really a factor in that signing. Even without him, Spurs have still 5 bigmen with Duncan, Splitter, Bonner, Ayres and Baynes.

The timing has more to do with it being now or never. Thomas was tearing it all in D-League with especially the new ability to hit 3 pointers. Had Spurs not call him up, another team would have done it in the next few days. It's even possible that Thomas already had multiple offers and picked Spurs over other ones.

[moisaenz]

I would say that Diaw's injury isn't really a factor in that signing. Even without him, Spurs have still 5 bigmen with Duncan, Splitter, Bonner, Ayres and Baynes.

The timing has more to do with it being now or never. Thomas was tearing it all in D-League with especially the new ability to hit 3 pointers. Had Spurs not call him up, another team would have done it in the next few days. It's even possible that Thomas already had multiple offers and picked Spurs over other ones.

Was that his weakness? the 3 point shooting?

[bluebellmaniac]

Lol! Just checked the Lakers board to find out about Thomas. They were begging their FO to sign him. Hahaha.

We'll see how he develops and what we signed him to.

[Spursfanfromafar]

I would say that Diaw's injury isn't really a factor in that signing. Even without him, Spurs have still 5 bigmen with Duncan, Splitter, Bonner, Ayres and Baynes.

The timing has more to do with it being now or never. Thomas was tearing it all in D-League with especially the new ability to hit 3 pointers. Had Spurs not call him up, another team would have done it in the next few days. It's even possible that Thomas already had multiple offers and picked Spurs over other ones.

If Thomas did indeed choose Spurs over others; chalk one up for his college mate Kawhi Leonard.

[Bruno]

Was that his weakness? the 3 point shooting?

In 2011, Thomas was presented as an athletic defensive minded player who was mobile, active, a good shot blocker and rebounder. The issue was his offensive game that was very limited.

Now, if he can hit 3 point shots at a good rate, it change a lot his potential impact on the game.

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

Go Aztecs!

[td4mvp2k]

Didnt do nuttin be4 so this has to be a try out tbh

[ace3g]

I was watching some of his games yesterday and it looks like he added a bit of weight to his frame.

[Libri]

Also, Malcolm has played for the Toros and is already familiar with some Spurs plays. The learning curve will not be too steep.

[ChumpDumper]

Next Toros game is Thursday.

Malcom's 3pt stroke looks decent though his release is pretty slow. Should be pretty effective when playing small ball PF.

[ElNono]

10 day contract? Pop gonna start resting players?

[ChumpDumper]

10 day contract? Pop gonna start resting players?Can't sign ten days yet. At the least it's an unguaranteed deal, but there may be some guaranteed money in there if there was a bidding "war."
.

[Baam]

Bonner is finally getting traded? Why would he Spurs need another 4...

[ChumpDumper]

They're going to try him at the three and small ball four. Don't expect any trades at this point.

[xellos88330]

I always figured that his problem was his shooting. That to me was the reason why he was let go by the Spurs to begin with. It is appearing now that he has increased his range out to the 3 and that is an invaluable skill to have within the Spurs system. Case in point.... Matt Bonner. It was nice seeing a defensive minded player who played above the rim in his short time with the Spurs. If his range is indeed extended to the 3 with any sort of consistency, he might very well stick with the Spurs this time. It would be nice as a backup small ball 4 with Leonard able to stay at the 3. This signing is extremely intriguing for me. Let us hope he is what the Spurs need. If not, no big deal. It isn't like the Spurs won't do fine without him.

[SpursFan86]

Next Toros game is Thursday.

So is he going to play a few games for the Toros or is he going straight to San Antonio?

[ChumpDumper]

So is he going to play a few games for the Toros or is he going straight to San Antonio?Maybe if there are back-to-backs coming up or something. As it is, Baynes and de Colo can't even get any burn with the mothership. Malcom might sit with the Spurs tomorrow but my guess is he gets assigned and practices with the Toros while the Spurs travel.

[Captivus]

I like this signing.
It looks like the FO also sees a deficit in the frontcourt.
I was watching the OKC game against MIN, and even though MIN lost, having 2 bigs in Love and Pekovic is key to play against these kind of teams.
Duncan and Tiago arent strong enough, and apparently Baynes isnt getting more minutes (why is not important now).
Lets see what happens, like I said, I like this.

[Ice009]

Was that his weakness? the 3 point shooting?

I think he is a mainly a PF, so I don't think he was a three point shooter at all. It seems like he's worked on his shooting and added that to his game.

[td4mvp2k]

Why would he Spurs need another 4...miami/okc

[bklynspursfan]

I would say that Diaw's injury isn't really a factor in that signing. Even without him, Spurs have still 5 bigmen with Duncan, Splitter, Bonner, Ayres and Baynes.

The timing has more to do with it being now or never. Thomas was tearing it all in D-League with especially the new ability to hit 3 pointers. Had Spurs not call him up, another team would have done it in the next few days. It's even possible that Thomas already had multiple offers and picked Spurs over other ones.

Ah, ok. Thanks for the info :tu I'm glad he's added the 3 point shot. If you can do that + defend, that's a great foundation to have. For our system at least

[tim_duncan_fan]

Anybody else gonna watch a little bit of those D-League games to see him? They are on youtube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Jjz8CSvcLGU


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wQuitNdfVs4

[ChumpDumper]

Anybody else gonna watch a little bit of those D-League games to see him? They are on youtube.His highlights were posted earlier, I think save some scoring in the second game.

[Ice009]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought he was more of a tweener? Too small/skinny to play PF on the NBA level and not much of a shooter? He's also a decent shot blocker with pretty good athleticism too isn't he?

If all that is correct, and he's worked on his shot and added some perimeter skills, I think he can make it.

[look_at_g_shred]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought he was more of a tweener? Too small/skinny to play PF on the NBA level and not much of a shooter? He's also a decent shot blocker with pretty good athleticism too isn't he?

If all that is correct, and he's worked on his shot and added some perimeter skills, I think he can make it.
Looks as if he put on more weight as in muscle.

[unforeseen]

33.5 PPG
15.5 RPG

GOAT.

[TE]

Won't get much playing time. This is almost no news, tbh.

[wildchild]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BacZgwSIMAA4pV0.jpg:large

So good D frontcourt with these guys

[moisaenz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8sYHjrqUbE

[loveforthegame]

I like it. :tu

Looks like he improved on some things.

[TheGoldStandard]

Curious to see how many minutes he gets and for how long

[mute]

I think this is just a testament to how good a guy like Nate Robinson is. Malcolm Thomas (at 6'9") has all the tools in the world to be a great NBA player, but still can't make it. The NBA and professional basketball as a whole are just so cutthroat.

[Darkwaters]

Wow, Thomas looks really good. Hes definitely upped his game from a couple of seasons ago when we had him in our club. And that 3 point shot is a nice development. Should definitely take a long hard look at him....

[ElNono]

hopefully we can keep on blowing out shitty teams so we get a good look at him, tbh

[TheGoldStandard]

I bet he outperforms Ayres big time in limited minutes

[jesterbobman]

This thread is pretty great after discussion in the D league thread about signing him.

Agree that it seems like a now or never thing. While the level of play is significantly below the NBA, people putting up those numbers are hard to look away from. Thomas was an option as a limited, though useful player before he could shoot(Faried light PF) but being able to shoot means he can play a defined role. You don't have a choice to wait if other teams are looking into him, and at 33 and 15, there were probably a few teams looking.

[crc21209]

Good pickup, especially since he was beasting in the D-League. Better to pick him up now than to watch someone else come and snatch him up. Lets see what he can do now...

[DrunkTXLabrat]

this is super exciting news to me. i'll admit, i was beginning to lighten up about the spurs not picking up a 3/4 this offseason. but i have a lot of faith in thomas. he put up some impressive summer league numbers, this offseason, as well. and maybe this will give kawhi a little energy boost.

[will_spurs]

Even if he is assigned to the Toros, he has to sign some kind of contract with the Spurs first, right?

We don't need Baynes or De Colo right now because of the depth at their positions (they are respectively the 6th big and 7th guard...) so I wish he could get some playing time as SF to start lighting a fire under Green's ass.

[Bruno]

I really don't see Pop playing Thomas at the SF spot. AFAIK, he has never played that spot in his whole career.

While Spurs lack of depth at SF has been widely talked, Spurs situation at PF might be even more problematic. Spurs have Diaw but he can't play the whole game and he is now injured.
Aside of Diaw:
- Pairing Duncan with Splitter hasn't worked that well this year and Pop went away from it in some games when the matchup wasn't favorable (Knicks or Rockets).
- Ayres has been quite invisible with Spurs. He isn't a disaster but he just do so little on the court.
- Bonner is Bonner and Pop is playing him less and less.

If Spurs get a good PF, he could easily play 20 mpg. I'm not saying Thomas is that guy but there is clearly a roster opportunity for him.

[szkorhetz]

I really don't see Pop playing Thomas at the SF spot. AFAIK, he has never played that spot in his whole career.

While Spurs lack of depth at SF has been widely talked, Spurs situation at PF might be even more problematic. Spurs have Diaw but he can't play the whole game and he is now injured.
Aside of Diaw:
- Pairing Duncan with Splitter hasn't worked that well this year and Pop went away from it in some games when the matchup wasn't favorable (Knicks or Rockets).
- Ayres has been quite invisible with Spurs. He isn't a disaster but he just do so little on the court.
- Bonner is Bonner and Pop is playing him less and less.

If Spurs get a good PF, he could easily play 20 mpg. I'm not saying Thomas is that guy but there is clearly a roster opportunity for him.
Agreed. I think we should really try to get a deal done with the Kings. I truly think that Thompson is a real target for us, although I would jump out of my skin if we could get Anthony Randolph from Denver, while I still think Taj Gibson would be an outstanding fit.

[T Park]

Ayers is invisible when out there? One, it helps to actually play the guy first off.
Second, I'd say his improvement lately has been significant lately IE the Orlando game. Give the guy some damn minutes

[will_spurs]

I also wouldn't say Ayres has been invisible. He's starting to deliver/fit more and more, and not much is asked of him.

I thought Thomas was undersized to play the 4, and that's definitely not what the Spurs need.

[racm]

I also wouldn't say Ayres has been invisible. He's starting to deliver/fit more and more, and not much is asked of him.

I thought Thomas was undersized to play the 4, and that's definitely not what the Spurs need.

Yeah, Ayres is the second unit's garbage man of sorts. Someone has to rebound and protect the paint, because even if they're an offensive dynamo (with Mills/Belinelli/Ginobili/Diaw when healthy) that's a somewhat undersized lineup.

[mountainballer]

considering the weak rebounding, he could at least help a bit in this department.
I do like the signing. if he in fact improved his jump shot significantely, he could definitely find his niche in the NBA.
and it's not that there were so many options out there at this point of the season.

[exstatic]

I love the signing. He could be our version of Ibaka: a faceup big man who is a fierce weak side shot blocker.

Oh, and LOL, JHo. :lol
http://www.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/josh-howard-angry.jpg

[TheCerebral1]

The need for more athletism in the four and five should help. The possibility of Thomas making an impact seem slim to none, but there is a slim chance that something different may occur. One can only hope.

[Chinook]

I think they'll at least try him at the three. If he can stay with big SFs, he should be able to stick. The small-forward in the Spurs system really only needs to be able to space the floor on offense, which Thomas can do.

Really, how much different is he from Kawhi? Long, skinny combo-forwards who excel at rebounding. Kawhi is good as stealing, and Malcolm is good at blocking. Kawhi is probably a more diverse person from midrange while Thomas is looking better from distance. Not saying Thomas is as good as Leonard at all, but he is a three in the same mold.

[palangi]

I think they'll at least try him at the three. If he can stay with big SFs, he should be able to stick. The small-forward in the Spurs system really only needs to be able to space the floor on offense, which Thomas can do.

Really, how much different is he from Kawhi? Long, skinny combo-forwards who excel at rebounding. Kawhi is good as stealing, and Malcolm is good at blocking. Kawhi is probably a more diverse person from midrange while Thomas is looking better from distance. Not saying Thomas is as good as Leonard at all, but he is a three in the same mold.

I'm just happy to see us grab a 3 that has some height and length. at 6'9" we haven't had this in a while. we seem to play a lot of 6'6" kids here. this will help with the chandler parson types and kevin durrants. the length and height can hopefully be somewhat disruptive. especially against a parsons on his shot.

[Bruno]

Diaw won't miss games because of his injury, so it confirms that Thomas hasn't just been signed as a stop gap for an injury but that there is a legit interest in him from Spurs.

[SsKSpurs21]

I am beginning to wonder if thomas is being brought in to light a fire under jeff ayres or replace him all together. they are both 6'9''. ayres does have about 25 lbs on thomas but from those dleague clips thomas looks like an allstar.

[DPG21920]

Next Toros game is Thursday.

Malcom's 3pt stroke looks decent though his release is pretty slow. Should be pretty effective when playing small ball PF.

I agree. He's pretty athletic and fluid, but his release is very slow. Even most of his post moves come from the waist area and up, which might be an issue too. Slow release, but looks pretty solid. Seemingly likes to operate in the post and can elevate, but doesn't really have an arc to his shot. Nice prospect and looks improved from the last time we saw him.

[Chinook]

I am beginning to wonder if thomas is being brought in to light a fire under jeff ayres or replace him all together. they are both 6'9''. ayres does have about 25 lbs on thomas but from those dleague clips thomas looks like an allstar.

I doubt the team is anywhere near as disappointed in Ayres as many on this site are. However, I think Thomas could pass him if he proves himself. On paper, he and Jeff do pretty much the same things. One of them may end up starting by the end of the year.

[DPG21920]

Why do you say that? The Tiago & Tim pairing worked beautifully last year and Tiago is still playing damn well this year. Tim is looking better, the Spurs are winning so why would Tiago lose his starting job?

[Chinook]

Why do you say that? The Tiago & Tim pairing worked beautifully last year and Tiago is still playing damn well this year. Tim is looking better, the Spurs are winning so why would Tiago lose his starting job?

The Spurs were winning with Blair. I like Splitter, but he and Duncan haven't been as good this season. I don't think the team feels comfortable dictating matchups. So Pop will start Diaw or another four for Splitter in many series. Thomas and Ayres as possible to preserve the second unit.

[will_spurs]

Just check Baynes and De Colo's numbers with the Toros on Sunday before getting too excited about Thomas potential production in the NBA :)

[Darkwaters]

Just check Baynes and De Colo's numbers with the Toros on Sunday before getting too excited about Thomas potential production in the NBA :)

Never heard of them. But those are some amazing stats. Sign them now! :lobt2:

[benefactor]

They will stay with/go away from the Splitter/Duncan duo depending on match ups. That's what the interest in AK-47 was about and what the Spurs are looking for in Thomas. Lets not forget the real reason why Splitter was re-signed...to help fill the void in the paint when Duncan leaves not necessarily to play with Duncan(though I expect they will still play a lot together).

[DPG21920]

The Spurs were winning with Blair. I like Splitter, but he and Duncan haven't been as good this season. I don't think the team feels comfortable dictating matchups. So Pop will start Diaw or another four for Splitter in many series. Thomas and Ayres as possible to preserve the second unit.

They were regular season winning, not WCF/Finals winning. To me that is a big difference. While that pairing has not been as good this year, it's still been incredible at defending the paint and with Duncan seemingly rounding into form, it appears as if the pairing is quite sound.

[DPG21920]

They will stay with/go away from the Splitter/Duncan duo depending on match ups. That's what the interest in AK-47 was about and what the Spurs are looking for in Thomas. Lets not forget the real reason why Splitter was re-signed...to help fill the void in the paint when Duncan leaves not necessarily to play with Duncan(though I expect they will still play a lot together).

I personally disagree. I think they (being the Spurs) were looking for a legit defensive big man to pair with Tim in the starting lineup. They started Bonner & Blair because they had to, not because it was ideal. We saw last year how good this pairing could be with Tim's new game and it's still looked fine (especially defensively) despite Tim's horrible start.

I have not doubt they will play match ups, but I don't think they signed Splitter for when Tim was off the court. I believe they signed him because they believed TnT was here to stay.

[monkeypunk]

Just check Baynes and De Colo's numbers with the Toros on Sunday before getting too excited about Thomas potential production in the NBA :)

Decolo's numbers were absolutely redonk...

[Darkwaters]

Decolo's numbers were absolutely redonk...

It's easy to forget, but Nando de Colo can play basketball.

[DPG21920]

It's easy to forget, but Nando de Colo can play basketball.

Exactly. He actually did quite well for a rookie in the NBA (although he's more seasoned that most NBA rookies). The Spurs have tremendous guard depth and he still has a lot to iron out in his game. Despite that, he is a really solid basketball players if he could strengthen some of his weaknesses.

[Chinook]

Splitter was arguably his best with the second unit. His defense is key against big teams, but other mobile bigs can home their own against PnR teams. Those players would also be able to handle stretch fours, which is a big deal if Houston makes it. Splitter may well start a lot, but the team will need to feel someone else could.

[justinandimcool]

Ayres is already better than this guy, not too excited nor do I expect him to make an impact. If he does play well, who gets traded?

[benefactor]

I personally disagree. I think they (being the Spurs) were looking for a legit defensive big man to pair with Tim in the starting lineup. They started Bonner & Blair because they had to, not because it was ideal. We saw last year how good this pairing could be with Tim's new game and it's still looked fine (especially defensively) despite Tim's horrible start.

I have not doubt they will play match ups, but I don't think they signed Splitter for when Tim was off the court. I believe they signed him because they believed TnT was here to stay.
Of course they signed him for when Duncan was gone. Why would they have paid him a fully guaranteed 36 million otherwise? I agree that in the short term(while Duncan was still here) they planned to play the two together as much as possible, but more than anything the Spurs did not want to get left out in the cold with no big man presence to replace Duncan in the paint. Splitter is a good paint defender, passer and more importantly is an elite pick and roll player...which will be important to have going forward with Parker.

The short term was thought of too...but make no mistake...that contract Splitter got was absolutely about him being the best available option as the Spurs transition beyond the Duncan era.

[Bruno]

De Colo and Baynes are quality players even if they are on the deep end of Spurs bench.

What is intriguing about Thomas isn't the stats he put in 2 D-League games because it's only the D-League and it's only 2 games. What is intriguing is the 8 3's he made in these 2 games while he made something like 5 3's in the previous 5 years between College, NBA, D-League and overseas game.

If Thomas can confirm with Spurs that he has developed a reliable 3 point shot this summer, it makes him a damn interesting player. A bigman with his athletic, defensive and rebounding qualities, who is able to stretch the defense, could be so useful in the NBA.

[DPG21920]

I am just not sure they were thinking that far ahead. I think it was about winning now more than anything else. They couldn't afford to lose him now because with Tim having 2 years left (this year and next under contract) losing Tiago would have been/could have been a massive blow to competing for a title. TP's contract runs out the same time as Tim so who knows what will happen then.

I don't think they were too concerned about keeping Tiago for the future, but now. They paid him a fully guaranteed 36M because that is what the market called for. If they didn't do that, they ran the risk of losing him and where would they be?

[Chomag]

Would be amazing if he turns out to be that long lost big type player Spurs have been searching for years for. I like this signing though, low risk high reward.

[benefactor]

We'll agree to disagree. I fully expect them to re-sign Parker. Again...I agree that now was also in the thought process, but I feel not having to deal with a full rebuild after Duncan left weighed heavier into the decision.

[Robz4000]

Saw he was signed to a 10-day contract. Thought teams weren't allowed to give those out yet?

[DPG21920]

We'll agree to disagree. I fully expect them to re-sign Parker. Again...I agree that now was also in the thought process, but I feel not having to deal with a full rebuild after Duncan left weighed heavier into the decision.

I hope you are right. I agree, they very likely will re-sign TP (I also think Tim could play another 2 years too which factored into the decision..).

Tiago is here either way and I am fine with that.

[jyra]

Saw he was signed to a 10-day contract. Thought teams weren't allowed to give those out yet?

Your are right, it's not possible yet.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q78

Teams may sign players to 10-day contracts starting January 5 each season.

[TheGoldStandard]

Tiago is a situational player who is there to play against the Grizz and a handful of others but he is not Tue answer. If Pop is not comfortable dictating the personnel and play style then Tiago is not the answer. He's not the solution to life after Tim, has no offense whatsoever outside his pick n roll game. Doesn't get any work in the post and that sweeping hook is inconsistent.

Hopefully Thomas gets a real look and not just floor seats to watch a few games.

[KL2]

I'm keeping my expectations low, he probably rots on the bench and doesn't get any playing time, the Spurs always do this shit.

[fleggy2k2]

They were regular season winning, not WCF/Finals winning. To me that is a big difference. While that pairing has not been as good this year, it's still been incredible at defending the paint and with Duncan seemingly rounding into form, it appears as if the pairing is quite sound.

actually, some stats so far this season (apart from the last couple games) suggest the contrary:

Tiago on court while Duncan's benched: 83.6 points allowed per 100 possessions
Tiago and Duncan on court at the same time: 90.2 points allowed per 100 possessions

yes it's a small sample size, so take it for what it's worth

[DPG21920]

Sure - but that is overall defense (which its still very good). I was strictly talking about defending the paint.

[Chomag]

If he can at least bump Ayers off the roster this year then I would say a job well done.

[Bruno]

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/Dec/02/sdsu-basketball-rankings-Thames/2/?#article-copy


Thomas isn’t expected to suit up until Saturday against Indianapolis.

[td4mvp2k]

Lookz like lakerfan iz SOL lol

[Darkwaters]

If he can at least bump Ayers off the roster this year then I would say a job well done.

Ayres signed a deal for guaranteed money that runs for two seasons. Do you really think theres anyways that hes going to get cut barring something bizarre like criminal charges or a Stephen Jackson-esque meltdown?

[exstatic]

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/Dec/02/sdsu-basketball-rankings-Thames/2/?#article-copy

There's still no official announcement on the Spurs website. He's also not listed on nba dot com in the player section. They're pretty good about updating for signings or cuts. He was not listed as either active or inactive on the box score from last night. I'm beginning to think he hasn't actually signed yet.

[Bruno]

I'm beginning to think he hasn't actually signed yet.

Well, he obviously hasn't been signed since Spurs haven't made a press release about it.

[ceperez]

De Colo and Baynes are quality players even if they are on the deep end of Spurs bench.

What is intriguing about Thomas isn't the stats he put in 2 D-League games because it's only the D-League and it's only 2 games. What is intriguing is the 8 3's he made in these 2 games while he made something like 5 3's in the previous 5 years between College, NBA, D-League and overseas game.

If Thomas can confirm with Spurs that he has developed a reliable 3 point shot this summer, it makes him a damn interesting player. A bigman with his athletic, defensive and rebounding qualities, who is able to stretch the defense, could be so useful in the NBA.

Two games aren't a big sample size, however, that was a lot of 3's in 2 games!

If he's a 3 and D type of player, then he make likely stick!

[bluebellmaniac]

Well, he obviously hasn't been signed since Spurs haven't made a press release about it.

Very odd. The fact that he was pulled from the D-fenders game and it was reported that he was flying to SA tells me they had a deal. Either something turned up over his physical, which would be bad, or he's looking to try to work a better deal. The latter would indicate a renaging of a deal, which shows bad character. Just seems eerily odd.

[Bruno]

Very odd. The fact that he was pulled from the D-fenders game and it was reported that he was flying to SA tells me they had a deal. Either something turned up over his physical, which would be bad, or he's looking to try to work a better deal. The latter would indicate a renaging of a deal, which shows bad character. Just seems eerily odd.

I think you worry about nothing. It isn't a call up when the team needs the player as quickly as possible because of injuries so Spurs/Thomas aren't in rush mode. It's even possible that Thomas is still currently in LA. If he isn't signed for the Pacers game on Saturday, it will be time to wonder if there isn't something up.

[playbonner15]

4 pages for this scrub :rollin

[ace3g]

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN
(http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN)Spurs have finalized deal to bring back Malcolm Thomas. Will join team after it returns from Mexico City.

[TheGreatYacht]

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN
(http://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN)Spurs have finalized deal to bring back Malcolm Thomas. Will join team after it returns from Mexico City.



Deal been released yet?

[ace3g]

I guess Spurs figured they would wait till after Wolves game so he would have Thur, Fri, and Sat shootaround to practice with the team. Wouldn't have much time to practice during this last 3 game stretch.

[ace3g]

San Antonio Spurs @spurs
(http://twitter.com/spurs)[RELEASE] Spurs sign Malcolm Thomas: on.nba.com/19fS281 (http://t.co/euEtdRIt7f)

[Eddy from Austin]

San Antonio Spurs @spurs
(http://twitter.com/spurs)[RELEASE] Spurs sign Malcolm Thomas: on.nba.com/19fS281 (http://t.co/euEtdRIt7f)



Cool!

[ceperez]

San Antonio Spurs @spurs
(http://twitter.com/spurs)[RELEASE] Spurs sign Malcolm Thomas: on.nba.com/19fS281 (http://t.co/euEtdRIt7f)



Does not appear to be just a 10 day contract but something longer term.

[Mel_13]

I guess Spurs figured they would wait till after Wolves game so he would have Thur, Fri, and Sat shootaround to practice with the team. Wouldn't have much time to practice during this last 3 game stretch.

Thomas may not have had the documents to travel with the team to Mexico. In that case, it makes sense to allow him a little more time to close out his affairs in California.


Does not appear to be just a 10 day contract but something longer term.

There are no 10 day contracts until January. Likely a minimum contract with no guaranteed money. Essentially a day-to-day contract. It would be interesting to know if it is for two years, which would give the Spurs a minimum salaried player for next season if Thomas manages to stick this time.

[Chinook]

I wouldn't be surprised if it had some guaranteed money in it like the first contract he signed with the Spurs did. If he really is a hot commodity right now, I don't see why he'd sign with the team without baome guarantee. This isn't really a great situation for him.

[ace3g]

too bad practice was canceled today, Thomas could use the time to get reacquainted with the system


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1ytrq0I20I&feature=youtu.be&a

[TheGoldStandard]

He needs all the practice time he can get

[will_spurs]

I wouldn't be surprised if it had some guaranteed money in it like the first contract he signed with the Spurs did. If he really is a hot commodity right now, I don't see why he'd sign with the team without baome guarantee. This isn't really a great situation for him.

I agree. It would be weird for him to sign a contract without guaranteed money when several teams seem to be willing to sign him...

By the way, what's the mininum salary in the NBA these days? How much would that be per day, if he's on a day to day basis?

[DapDaGenius]

How long until he develops a cult following on SpursTalk like the many end of bench players before him, tbh?:lol..

10 seconds after he makes his first shot in garbage time.

[DapDaGenius]

I like Malcolm Thomas, I wanted us to keep him when we first had him.

[Mel_13]

I wouldn't be surprised if it had some guaranteed money in it like the first contract he signed with the Spurs did. If he really is a hot commodity right now, I don't see why he'd sign with the team without baome guarantee. This isn't really a great situation for him.

Some guaranteed money is entirely possible, especially given the team's salary cap situation. Even more so if they view him as a long term project. Guaranteeing the salary up to Jan 10th on a two-year minimum deal would have advantages for both sides. If that's the case, then assignment to Austin after the upcoming stretch of 7 games in 10 days is likely.


I agree. It would be weird for him to sign a contract without guaranteed money when several teams seem to be willing to sign him...

By the way, what's the minimum salary in the NBA these days? How much would that be per day, if he's on a day to day basis?

As a 3rd year player, the minimum salary is 884K. Daily salary is around 5K.

To calculate the exact amount:

The minimum salary begins to pro-rate on the first day of the regular season. The minimum salary on a rest-of-season contract is based on the fraction of the season remaining when the contract is signed. For example, if there are 170 days in the season, then a minimum salary contract signed on the 60th day of the season is worth 110/170 of the full minimum salary amount. If a player signs a multi-year minimum salary contract partway through the first season, then the first season is pro-rated and the salary in subsequent seasons is the full minimum salary.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q28

[Arcadian]

EFF = +43.0

Daaaaamn. I know it's D-league, but still.

[Bruno]

I would also say there is a good chance that Thomas contract has guaranteed money in it.

Malcolm Thomas had a good Vegas summer league averaging 11 ppg and 15 rpg with Chicago. Bulls cut him later in July mostly because he would have cost them a lot of money with the luxury tax. After that, he didn't signed a training camp contract with another team and started his season in D-League. One could guess he turned down training camp invites because he wanted guaranteed money. I don't see him changing that stance after 2 stellar D-League games.

Realgm has him with a multiyear contract:
http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Malcolm-Thomas/Summary/2560

Free Agent: UFA-2015

My guess for his contract is:
2013-2014: $702,233 (fully guaranteed)
2014-2015: $948,163 (fully unguaranteed with some guaranteed deadline(s) over the 2014 summer)

[Mel_13]

I would also say there is a good chance that Thomas contract has guaranteed money in it.

Malcolm Thomas had a good Vegas summer league averaging 11 ppg and 15 rpg with Chicago. Bulls cut him later in July mostly because he would have cost them a lot of money with the luxury tax. After that, he didn't signed a training camp contract with another team and started his season in D-League. One could guess he turned down training camp invites because he wanted guaranteed money. I don't see him changing that stance after 2 stellar D-League games.

Realgm has him with a multiyear contract:
http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Malcolm-Thomas/Summary/2560


My guess for his contract is:
2013-2014: $702,233 (fully guaranteed)
2014-2015: $948,163 (fully unguaranteed with some guaranteed deadline(s) over the 2014 summer)

:tu


So, a good chance that the Spurs view Thomas as a longer term project, not part of a revolving door for the 15th spot.

[CGD]

Really like this signing. Thomas has a decent post game and really worked hard to develop that 3pt shot (six 3s against the Warrior's affiliate!). The latter is most impressive to me bc it speaks to his character and willingness to improve.

Except for his wingspan which is one inch shorter than Leonard's 7'3", per draftexpress his physical profile is nearly identical which I found interesting.

[will_spurs]

As a 3rd year player, the minimum salary is 884K. Daily salary is around 5K.

So basically guaranteed money until Jan 10 would net him over $180k, which I assume is quite nice compared to a D-League player salary. And a fully guaranteed minimum salary for the remainder of the season probably means "getting paid" in D-League terms.

[Em-City]

So basically guaranteed money until Jan 10 would net him over $180k, which I assume is quite nice compared to a D-League player salary. And a fully guaranteed minimum salary for the remainder of the season probably means "getting paid" in D-League terms.
Sounds like working at a car wash would be 'getting paid' in d league terms, since the average wage is 33k or something like that!

[elemento]

Thomas with 3-point shooting is a very interesting player, especially for SAS system.

I am quite excited about this signing, especially considering his friendship with Leonard.

[SpurCharger]

I live in San Diego, and got A opportunity to watch a lot of The SDSU Aztecs games with Leonard, and Thomas on the team. Thomas Is A good defender, who is athletic enough to guard some 3's, definitely 4's and 5's. He is a above average shot blocker, and can protect the rim.

His down side has always been his offense, I hope his offense has improved enough to where he is not A Liabilty on that end.

Go Aztecs!! My hometown College Reppin my favorite NBA Team.... Love it..

[monkeypunk]

I am quite excited about this signing, especially considering his friendship with Leonard.

Anyone think that a partial reason for the signing is that PATFO hopes to inspire Leonard by having his college teammate playing with him?

[Obstructed_View]

Anyone think that a partial reason for the signing is that PATFO hopes to inspire Leonard by having his college teammate playing with him?

In addition, it might light a fire under Leonard to play better, and it will certainly give him someone to practice and work out with.

[DrunkTXLabrat]

Anyone think that a partial reason for the signing is that PATFO hopes to inspire Leonard by having his college teammate playing with him?

i saw leonard get blocked so nasty by wes johnson. leonard does look mortal this year. i chalk it up to his name being a bigger part of scouting reports.

[DrunkTXLabrat]

In addition, it might light a fire under Leonard to play better, and it will certainly give him someone to practice and work out with.

obstructed view indeed

[DrunkTXLabrat]

by indeed, i mean that ass

[Obstructed_View]

Oh lol

[xmas1997]

Cool!

This will be a wait and see how he performs type situation. I like that he was a teammate of Leonard's.
And I really like it if he has a reliable 3pt shot because defensively he is a stud.
This seems win win to me, and especially so now that Diaw is ailing.
Hope Pop plays him enough to get him involved.
Now that he is signed for sure I wonder if the Spurs plan on moving another player to open up that 15th spot again?

[ace3g]

Interesting to see if the 3 point range translates to a midrange jumper as well.

[tim_duncan_fan]

Interesting to see if the 3 point range translates to a midrange jumper as well.

He has the body mass of a two-guard. I hope he has decent footspeed on the perimeter.

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

I live in San Diego, and got A opportunity to watch a lot of The SDSU Aztecs games with Leonard, and Thomas on the team. Thomas Is A good defender, who is athletic enough to guard some 3's, definitely 4's and 5's. He is a above average shot blocker, and can protect the rim.

His down side has always been his offense, I hope his offense has improved enough to where he is not A Liabilty on that end.

Go Aztecs!! My hometown College Reppin my favorite NBA Team.... Love it..
I saw some of his games when he went to Crawford, its surprising that he's the one who made it while Tyrone Shelley is out of basketball now.

[DapDaGenius]

So seeing as he has been officially called up and signed, does this means Baynes will be in the D-league for a while...or are we going to "Dejuan Blair" Jeff Ayres?

[exstatic]

So seeing as he has been officially called up and signed, does this means Baynes will be in the D-league for a while...or are we going to "Dejuan Blair" Jeff Ayres?
Baynes and DeColo were both sent down only for one game in Austin. They've been back for a couple of days.

[TheGoldStandard]

I hope Jeff Ayres isn't willing to admit that Danny Green is better or Manu so they'll fire his ass.

[DapDaGenius]

Baynes and DeColo were both sent down only for one game in Austin. They've been back for a couple of days.

I know. I was referring to them putting him back.

[ace3g]

San Antonio Spurs Hope Malcolm Thomas is Another Diamond in the RoughAnd while no one can conclude that Thomas has turned the corner based on two games, it sure sounded like the Spurs considered his newfound range in their decision to call him up when general manager R.C. Buford discussed it in Mexico City on Wednesday: “The early indications are that he’s expanded his skill set and was really shooting the three-ball well,” Buford said. “That has always been a valuable commodity in our system.”

Buford added that the San Antonio brass initially made the move because they were concerned that Diaw’s hand injury would keep him out for longer than it did. Now, they just view it as “an opportunity to see what Malcolm can do.”

http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/san_antonio_spurs_malcolm_thomas_breakdown_2013_12 _06.html

[Brazil]

This will be a wait and see how he performs type situation. I like that he was a teammate of Leonard's.
And I really like it if he has a reliable 3pt shot because defensively he is a stud.
This seems win win to me, and especially so now that Diaw is ailing.
Hope Pop plays him enough to get him involved.
Now that he is signed for sure I wonder if the Spurs plan on moving another player to open up that 15th spot again?

no shit sherlock
reliable 3 pt shooting ? uh there is not yet any evidence he became a reliable 3 pt shooter
Diaw ailing ? he put a 7-9 performance, 2 reb, 3 assists and one block at his return of injury, wtf is he ailing ?

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Really excited to see how this guy pans out. just hope pop gives him a slight chance. quick someone make a PlayThomas troll.

[Brazil]

Really excited to see how this guy pans out. just hope pop gives him a slight chance. quick someone make a PlayThomas troll.

if not mistaken it has been a while since the last approved new account tbh

[TheGoldStandard]

I doubt we see anything this weekend with the Pacers in town unless Pop is trolling, wonder if we'll see lots of Ayres.

[ace3g]

I doubt we see anything this weekend with the Pacers in town unless Pop is trolling, wonder if we'll see lots of Ayres.

Pop will get ejected early on in the game and let Boylen and Ayres take over.

[spurs50_]

Does anyone know what kind of contract Thomas signed?

[ace3g]

Based on the Manu pic, I think you can see Thomas in the bg: .... for once the player I want to see is in the bg of the video, lol, working on drills

http://ht.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/video/teams/spurs/2013/12/06/131206duncanmp4-3067070-7.576x324.jpg (http://www.nba.com/spurs/video/2013/12/06/131206duncanmp4-3067070)
Practice: Tim Duncan
12.6.13 |
2m0s

http://ht.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/video/teams/spurs/2013/12/06/131207ginobilimp4-3067058-4.576x324.jpg (http://www.nba.com/spurs/video/2013/12/06/131207ginobilimp4-3067058)
Practice: Manu Ginobili
12.6.13 |
4m44s

http://ht.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/video/teams/spurs/2013/12/06/131207popmp4-3067039-8.576x324.jpg (http://www.nba.com/spurs/video/2013/12/06/131207popmp4-3067039)
Practice: Coach Pop
12.6.13 |
2m58s

[look_at_g_shred]

:flag:

[DMC]

How long until he develops a cult following on SpursTalk like the many end of bench players before him, tbh?:lol..

And from there how long until Dallas fans here are calling him the savior? lol

[tim_duncan_fan]

I wish Spurs.com would fix its audio situation. I've never once heard good audio on our internet content.

[TheGreatYacht]

Some of you dumbasses need to quit pretending yall watch D-League and Euro basketball :lmao ex.
This will be a wait and see how he performs type situation. I like that he was a teammate of Leonard's.
And I really like it if he has a reliable 3pt shot because defensively he is a stud.
This seems win win to me, and especially so now that Diaw is ailing.
Hope Pop plays him enough to get him involved.
Now that he is signed for sure I wonder if the Spurs plan on moving another player to open up that 15th spot again?

[adonis827]

Did the spurs just hired a Bonner replacement?

[playbonner15]

Did the spurs just hired a Bonner replacement?
Keep wishing

[Bruno]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-ryan-kelly-d-fenders-20131206,0,6440870.story#axzz2mnlDMnEA


The D-Fenders' Malcolm Thomas was called up by the San Antonio Spurs last week.

Thomas received a two-year deal with the Spurs, although only $100,000 of his contract this season is guaranteed.

[Bruno]

That a nice contract Spurs have negotiated with Thomas/his agent. having the option to keep him on the cheap next season is huge and a $100K guarantee is relatively small. When you count waivers (a waived player is still paid during 2 days by his former team), a $100K guarantee is equivalent to guarantee a player that he will stay 17 days with the team.

Another question is have Spurs offered that contract after his two D-League games or have they made that offer after a workout at Spurs practice facility where Thomas showed that he is now a legitimate 3 point shooter.

[TheyCallMePro]

Why is it that we can't see how much Thomas is getting total? Why is the contact being kept secret? No other player's contract is in the NBA.

[ChumpDumper]

Why is it that we can't see how much Thomas is getting total? Why is the contact being kept secret? No other player's contract is in the NBA.Officially they all are secret.

The amount has been reported, but I suppose there is only one source so far because no one really cares about it.

[Bruno]

Thomas contract is quite known. It's:
2013-2014: $702,233 ($100K guaranteed)
2014-2015: $948,163 (fully unguaranteed)

If he isn't waived before January 7th 5pm ET, his 2013-2014 salary becomes fully guaranteed.

[eDizzle20]

What are the Spurs intentions with Thomas? Will he actually be on the active 12-man roster? I would think he would get some court time within the next month based on the fact that his contract is fully guaranteed on January 7th.

[ChumpDumper]

What are the Spurs intentions with Thomas? Will he actually be on the active 12-man roster? I would think he would get some court time within the next month based on the fact that his contract is fully guaranteed on January 7th.They are going to see if he doesn't suck as much as he did last time.

[ace3g]

What are the Spurs intentions with Thomas? Will he actually be on the active 12-man roster? I would think he would get some court time within the next month based on the fact that his contract is fully guaranteed on January 7th.

Get some time in games already out of hand and see if his 3 point shooting translates to NBA speed.

[TheWriter]

He could be the 3/4 version of Lin.

[Darkwaters]

He could be the 3/4 version of Lin.

I seriously hope hes nowhere near THAT turnover-prone.

[maverick1948]

Starting the 10th we have 7 games in 10 days. 6 of them are on the road. 3 back to backs. I would think that he is here for giving depth to the front court. Between now and the 7th of Jan, we have 16 games. If he works out, I expect to see Baynes, Thomas, DeColo and Joseph get playing time in Austin.

[ace3g]

Former Aztec teammate’s threes surprise Leonard (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2013/12/09/former-aztec-teammates-threes-surprise-leonard/)
He also was told Thomas had made six 3-pointers in his most recent game with the Los Angeles D-fenders.

“… And I said, ‘No way,’” said Leonard, who played two seasons with Thomas for the San Diego State Aztecs. “That wasn’t a part of his game, not at all.

“He could shoot but he didn’t shoot a lot of threes. But he’s been working on it. I can see the improvement.”

Thomas laughed off Leonard’s reaction.

“When we were together at San Diego State that certainly wasn’t my thing,” he said.

[ace3g]

Early game (hopefully Malcolm's last game, gets called back to Spurs and plays Friday) for Toros - 11 a.m.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wgXTqOjnw9U

[Bruno]

It will be difficult for the Toros. Vipers are on a 24 games winning streak between the end of last season and the start of the year.

Regarding Vipers, their style of play is just so unorthodox. They are basically following 2 rules. First rule is: playing as fast as possible. Second rule is: only layups/dunks and 3 pointers are allowed.

With stats, it gives that they are playing at the crazy pace of 112.7 possession per 48 minutes. They are taking 37.4 shots per game at the rim, 6.9 in the paint outside the restricted area, 4.5 from mid-range and 47.9 !!! three pointers per game. So, 88.2% of their shots are either at the rim or behind the arc shots.

Even if it's less extreme, Rockets are also using a little these rules. They led the in 3 pints attended per game and they are playing at a fast pace but the most telling stat is how midrange J are now banned from their game. Blazers are the team that shot the most midrange J with 28.2 per game. The 29th team is Pistons with 18.7. Rockets are 30th with 8.9. So, Rockets are only shooting 8.9 midrange J while the other 29 teams are between 18.7 and 28.9 attempts per game.

With Vipers and Rockets being that successful offensively, this way of playing may expand to other teams so it's worth keeping an eye on.

[racm]

It's less unorthodox and more the logical conclusion of the analytic nature of Moreyball.

[ace3g]

feed started

[ace3g]

James Johnson vs Thomas should be good

[ace3g]

Kabongo starting tonight

[GooberNuts]

Thomas protecting the rim well to start

[look_at_g_shred]

Really impressed with Thomas' D....Yeah I know it's D-league, but still like what I see.

[ace3g]

Thomas doing a better job of establishing position in the post in the 2nd half.

[ace3g]

0-1 from 3 today but that could have been part of the game plan based on the size of the Vipers.

[Bruno]

0-1 from 3 today but that could have been part of the game plan based on the size of the Vipers.

I've watched the start of the game and Thomas was playing center so he was mostly inside the arc.

PS: Eric Dawson and Josh Howard haven't played in this game. I've no clue why.

[objective]

I watched the last few minutes and have to ask, did Thomas get banged up a little? It looked to me like after he got a couple of blocks late, at a certain point he just stopped jumping, running, or even contesting for shots or rebounds the last 3 or so minutes. The last minute or so he did jog a little and make it over halfcourt, but it seemed he was hurt or concussed, he looked strange. I was watching it in the standard window and not fullscreen, so maybe that was the factor, but it looked weird to me.

[ace3g]

I've watched the start of the game and Thomas was playing center so he was mostly inside the arc.

PS: Eric Dawson and Josh Howard haven't played in this game. I've no clue why.

They said later in the game, Howard has a foot injury

[ace3g]

I watched the last few minutes and have to ask, did Thomas get banged up a little? It looked to me like after he got a couple of blocks late, at a certain point he just stopped jumping, running, or even contesting for shots or rebounds the last 3 or so minutes. The last minute or so he did jog a little and make it over halfcourt, but it seemed he was hurt or concussed, he looked strange. I was watching it in the standard window and not fullscreen, so maybe that was the factor, but it looked weird to me.

He was in foul trouble so he wasn't going for as many blocks later in the game.

[objective]

I hope that was it.

[eDizzle20]

I'm really hoping he gets recalled for tomorrow night's game. His length and rebounding would be a welcome sight.

[ChumpDumper]

They said later in the game, Howard has a foot injuryDawson was ill.

[Darkwaters]

Malcolm Thomas Could Redefine Stretch-Four Position For Spurs

Dec 12, 2013 1:05 PM EST

Malcolm Thomas is showing improved range on his jumper through three games in the D-League this season. Thomas has made 13 of 20 three-point attempts and is averaging 30 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game.

Thomas was signed by the San Antonio Spurs early this month.

“The early indications are that he’s expanded his skill set and was really shooting the three-ball well,” R.C. Buford said. “That has always been a valuable commodity in our system.”

Thomas has a shot at redefining the stretch-four position for the Spurs if he continues this development.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/231057/Malcolm-Thomas-Could-Redefine-Stretch-Four-Position-For-Spurs

[look_at_g_shred]

Did he get called up already?

[Seventyniner]

It will be difficult for the Toros. Vipers are on a 24 games winning streak between the end of last season and the start of the year.

Regarding Vipers, their style of play is just so unorthodox. They are basically following 2 rules. First rule is: playing as fast as possible. Second rule is: only layups/dunks and 3 pointers are allowed.

With stats, it gives that they are playing at the crazy pace of 112.7 possession per 48 minutes. They are taking 37.4 shots per game at the rim, 6.9 in the paint outside the restricted area, 4.5 from mid-range and 47.9 !!! three pointers per game. So, 88.2% of their shots are either at the rim or behind the arc shots.

Even if it's less extreme, Rockets are also using a little these rules. They led the in 3 pints attended per game and they are playing at a fast pace but the most telling stat is how midrange J are now banned from their game. Blazers are the team that shot the most midrange J with 28.2 per game. The 29th team is Pistons with 18.7. Rockets are 30th with 8.9. So, Rockets are only shooting 8.9 midrange J while the other 29 teams are between 18.7 and 28.9 attempts per game.

With Vipers and Rockets being that successful offensively, this way of playing may expand to other teams so it's worth keeping an eye on.

This probably deserves its own thread, perhaps in the NBA forum. The Rockets are trying to revolutionize offense like the Suns did a decade ago (though not in the same way). It's actually a good way to maximize your regular season wins, but I'd like to see what an elite team like the Spurs or Thunder can do to them in the playoffs.

[ace3g]

San Antonio Spurs @spurs
(https://twitter.com/spurs)Spurs recall Malcolm Thomas from @austintoros (https://twitter.com/austintoros/) - j.mp/1j3iYBK (http://t.co/nI67a0y4sA) #GoSpursGo (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoSpursGo)

[jeebus]

buh bye Errors

[look_at_g_shred]

San Antonio Spurs @spurs
(https://twitter.com/spurs)Spurs recall Malcolm Thomas from @austintoros (https://twitter.com/austintoros/) - j.mp/1j3iYBK (http://t.co/nI67a0y4sA) #GoSpursGo (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GoSpursGo)


Hope he gets some burn tonight. Pair him with Baynes off the bench :hungry:

[Chomag]

buh bye Errors

Please?

[ace3g]

It will be difficult for the Toros. Vipers are on a 24 games winning streak between the end of last season and the start of the year.

Regarding Vipers, their style of play is just so unorthodox. They are basically following 2 rules. First rule is: playing as fast as possible. Second rule is: only layups/dunks and 3 pointers are allowed.

With stats, it gives that they are playing at the crazy pace of 112.7 possession per 48 minutes. They are taking 37.4 shots per game at the rim, 6.9 in the paint outside the restricted area, 4.5 from mid-range and 47.9 !!! three pointers per game. So, 88.2% of their shots are either at the rim or behind the arc shots.

Even if it's less extreme, Rockets are also using a little these rules. They led the in 3 pints attended per game and they are playing at a fast pace but the most telling stat is how midrange J are now banned from their game. Blazers are the team that shot the most midrange J with 28.2 per game. The 29th team is Pistons with 18.7. Rockets are 30th with 8.9. So, Rockets are only shooting 8.9 midrange J while the other 29 teams are between 18.7 and 28.9 attempts per game.

With Vipers and Rockets being that successful offensively, this way of playing may expand to other teams so it's worth keeping an eye on.

Kevin Pelton @kpelton
(https://twitter.com/kpelton)The future of the NBA is the Rockets' D-League affiliate, playing fast and launching 3s: es.pn/IU0q66 (http://t.co/A6fWUxyoX0) ($)

Kevin Arnovitz @kevinarnovitz
(https://twitter.com/kevinarnovitz)80% of HOU starting unit's shots originate in basket area or from 3! "Killer Lineup" 1st installment of 2013-14 | es.pn/Jn8QUN (http://t.co/4M1vQ0F5lc)

[jeebus]

Please?
it's my Christmas wish

[ace3g]

It would be cool to see a Kawhi/Thomas combo at some point during the game if he plays.

[playbonner15]

"Expect Thomas NOT to get any burn unless it's a blowout tbh per par" - Pop :wakeup

[playbonner15]

Kevin Arnovitz @kevinarnovitz
(https://twitter.com/kevinarnovitz)80% of HOU starting unit's shots originate in basket area or from 3! "Killer Lineup" 1st installment of 2013-14 | es.pn/Jn8QUN (http://t.co/4M1vQ0F5lc)





Deng is now with the Rockets???

[exstatic]

"Expect Thomas NOT to get any burn unless it's a blowout tbh per par" - Pop :wakeup

He won't get any kind of regular burn, but Pop is known to throw a guy out there right away after a call up just to see how he reacts.

[ace3g]

Hector Ledesma @HectorLedesmaJr
(https://twitter.com/HectorLedesmaJr)Aron Baynes and Tiago Splitter are both out for tonight’s #Spurs (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Spurs)-T'wolves game here in SA. Both will be day-to-day after tonight.

[jeebus]

Hector Ledesma @HectorLedesmaJr
(https://twitter.com/HectorLedesmaJr)Aron Baynes and Tiago Splitter are both out for tonight’s #Spurs (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Spurs)-T'wolves game here in SA. Both will be day-to-day after tonight.


Hopefully Splitter/Bane is healthy for tomorrow. Spurs can't keep this up with just Duncan, Diaw, and an unproven Thomas.

[look_at_g_shred]

Hector Ledesma @HectorLedesmaJr
(https://twitter.com/HectorLedesmaJr)Aron Baynes and Tiago Splitter are both out for tonight’s #Spurs (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Spurs)-T'wolves game here in SA. Both will be day-to-day after tonight.


Well it's a good chance we may see Thomas then.... Maybe Pop wants to see what he can do, and sitting Tiago/Baynes gives him more time to play???? Maybe it's just wishful thinking though and i should know better....

[crc21209]

Damn it. Gonna be a tough 2 games if the Spurs have to go with Duncan, Diaw, Bonner, and Thomas going up against Love/Pekovic tonight and Favors/Kanter tomorrow night.

[exstatic]

Hopefully Splitter/Bane is healthy for tomorrow. Spurs can't keep this up with just Duncan, Diaw, and an unproven Thomas.

...and Ayres. :lol

[Chomag]

Honestly they should just put him out there right now in place of Ayers and see what he might be able to do. I'm sure he will make mistakes but thats pretty much what Ayers does anyways without improvement so that is moot. At least with Thomas you risk but with a possibility of improvement.

[Texas_Ranger]

Thomas playing tonight? yea right. They still have Ayres and Matt Fucking Bonner!!

[Chinook]

Maybe Thomas will start? It wouldn't be absurd, but I expect Ayres to start. However, since Jeff is the only other center healthy besides Tim and Love plays out on the perimeter, Thomas could get a lot of minutes at the four.

[DPG21920]

Ayres is going to start.

[dallasmaverickslose]

Bruno, you need to come by and lock this thread. OP should've posted this in the Official Trade/Signing Ideas and Rumors Thread, like Bruno has been ordering us to. Oh wait...

[exstatic]

Bruno, you need to come by and lock this thread. OP should've posted this in the Official Trade/Signing Ideas and Rumors Thread, like Bruno has been ordering us to. Oh wait...

It's not an idea, oh butthurt one. It's reported news of a signing. He is ACTUALLY a Spur. Advocating the locking of this thread at this point just makes you look (more) stupid.

Did someone get their thread locked? Awwww.

[dallasmaverickslose]

It's not an idea, oh butthurt one. It's reported news of a signing. He is ACTUALLY a Spur. Advocating the locking of this thread at this point just makes you look (more) stupid.

Did someone get their thread locked? Awwww.

Uh oh, bolded member to the rescue!

And as far as I'm concerned, at the time this thread was posted, it qualifies as a rumor. That's a very subjective field, but of course I guess mods and bolded members always get the benefit of the doubt.

[ChumpDumper]

You're still going on about this?

lol

[Ice009]

Are they ever going to play this guy? Surely, he can't be worse than Ayres can he?

[justinandimcool]

Anyone think this is a chemistry signing? Watching the Inside Stuff segment on the Spurs, I feel like a guy like Kawhi would feel left out in the locker room. He already seems introverted. Now imagine being on the road and trying to relate with a bunch of guys who are not only 10-15 years older than you, but some barely know how to speak english. Never mind that no one else on the Spurs other than Green and maybe Ayres/CJ grew up in the US at the same time as him. Who would Kawhi have to talk to every time they head out on the bus or plane? I know we've looked at Thomas for a long time, but I feel like half of the reason is to make Kawhi feel comfortable off the court.

[Darkwaters]

Anyone think this is a chemistry signing? Watching the Inside Stuff segment on the Spurs, I feel like a guy like Kawhi would feel left out in the locker room. He already seems introverted. Now imagine being on the road and trying to relate with a bunch of guys who are not only 10-15 years older than you, but some barely know how to speak english. Never mind that no one else on the Spurs other than Green and maybe Ayres/CJ grew up in the US at the same time as him. Who would Kawhi have to talk to every time they head out on the bus or plane? I know we've looked at Thomas for a long time, but I feel like half of the reason is to make Kawhi feel comfortable off the court.

Leonard can't be comforted when his buddy is always in Austin and not on those road trips with him.

[Hoops Czar]

Garbage time fodder. Pop isn't going to play a guy who hasn't played in the system. Anyone expecting him to make any kind of impact anytime soon is kidding themselves.

[exstatic]

Garbage time fodder. Pop isn't going to play a guy who hasn't played in the system. Anyone expecting him to make any kind of impact anytime soon is kidding themselves.

cough*Ayres*cough

I think after some time in Austin to refresh him on our system, he'll be up and get some burn. I think they want to see what they have, and you can only see that in game situations.

He's a different player than the last time he was here. His d-league numbers are ridiculous, but if he could even shoot 35-36% from downtown, he could stick as a 3 and D combo forward.

[look_at_g_shred]

cough*Ayres*cough

I think after some time in Austin to refresh him on our system, he'll be up and get some burn. I think they want to see what they have, and you can only see that in game situations.

He's a different player than the last time he was here. His d-league numbers are ridiculous, but if he could even shoot 35-36% from downtown, he could stick as a 3 and D combo forward.
Stubborn ass Pop needs to just throw him in the fire. I mean it's the regular season, not the playoffs. What could 7-10 minutes do?

[Obstructed_View]

What could 7-10 minutes do?

Be unfair.

[look_at_g_shred]

Be unfair.
to?

[Obstructed_View]

to?

um...other...players? :pop:

[look_at_g_shred]

um...other...players? :pop:
Of course the Pop conundrum

[Chomag]

If Baynes isnt going to get playing time there is no way in hell this guy is. We gots that super Star errors... I mean Ayers to develop!

[RD2191]

Where is this guy? Has he been on the bench?

[Bruno]

If Thomas doesn't play today against GSW, I will have a hard time understanding what the Spurs are doing.

[look_at_g_shred]

Where is this guy? Has he been on the bench?
Rockin dem suits doe!

[look_at_g_shred]

If Thomas doesn't play today against GSW, I will have a hard time understanding what the Spurs are doing.
It reminds me of last year when they signed Baynes.

[td4mvp2k]

It reminds me of last year when they signed Baynes.not da same tbh

[look_at_g_shred]

not da same tbh
It's pretty much like any other signing Spurs do during the season. Unless the player is a vet, they get little to no playing time....so yeah it's about the same.

[td4mvp2k]

It's pretty much like any other signing Spurs do during the season. Unless the player is a vet, they get little to no playing time....so yeah it's about the same.baynes wasnt a spur when they signed him past half way thru last yr or had played in da nba at all unlike thomas tbh

[monkeypunk]

I hope he gets some spot minutes but unless its a blow out, we likely won't see him tonight...

[coachmac87]

Soooo why did we sign this guy?

[bklynspursfan]

It was already reported that he was signed on the fly cause they thought Diaw was going to be out a longer stretch when he hurt his finger. It's not too surprising they can't find much time for him now.

[Darkwaters]

It was already reported that he was signed on the fly cause they thought Diaw was going to be out a longer stretch when he hurt his finger. It's not too surprising they can't find much time for him now.

I don't remember ever seeing that in an official report. I just remember speculation to that effect.

[timtonymanu]

It was already reported that he was signed on the fly cause they thought Diaw was going to be out a longer stretch when he hurt his finger. It's not too surprising they can't find much time for him now.

Doesn't Thomas have a 2 year contract?

[bklynspursfan]

I don't remember ever seeing that in an official report. I just remember speculation to that effect.

One of the Spurs beat writers put it on Twitter some time ago, I think like a day or 2 after the signing when the announcement was made Diaw would be back quickly.

[bklynspursfan]

Doesn't Thomas have a 2 year contract?

I never saw the terms released, but here's (http://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/SAS.html) what hoopshype has it as

[ace3g]

If Thomas doesn't play today against GSW, I will have a hard time understanding what the Spurs are doing.

With Duncan, Ginobili, and TP not playing, something would be odd if Thomas doesn't play.

[Bruno]

With Duncan, Ginobili, and TP not playing, something would be odd if Thomas doesn't play.

I hope so. Even without Duncan, Spurs still have a lot of bigmen with Splitter, Diaw, Ayres, Bonner, Baynes and Thomas. Pop could very well go with a rotation without Thomas today.

[jeebus]

I hope so. Even without Duncan, Spurs still have a lot of bigmen with Splitter, Diaw, Ayres, Bonner, Baynes and Thomas. Pop could very well go with a rotation without Thomas today.
Pop played 5 last night with Duncan/Splitter and Boner/Ayres/Diaw off the bench.

[exstatic]

Doesn't Thomas have a 2 year contract?

If it's standard Spurs fare, the second year is completely unguaranteed, and year one will only have a small guarantee. The cut date for this year's contract to fully guarantee is sometime in early January.

[TheGoldStandard]

Signed a contract to get courtside seats.

[look_at_g_shred]

Signed a contract to get courtside seats.
:lol

[ace3g]

This is getting weird, Thomas might be the 1st d-league/10 day contract type player to not even get "throwing in the white flag" minutes.

[SpursFan86]

I really don't get what they're doing here. I understand the whole "needs to get used to the system" idea, but would giving him a few garbage time minutes every now and then really screw things up that bad? What do they have to lose by trying him out in situations where the game's outcome has already been decided?

[palangi]

Do you guys really think pop wants to put him and show that he is better than bonner already?

[exstatic]

I think they don't want to showcase him in an NBA setting in case they need him later. I'm almost certain that they will cut him at the deadline.

[TheGoldStandard]

Smoke and mirrors, Thomas probably schools Ayres in practice and they can't have the FO looking like total losers.

[exstatic]

Smoke and mirrors, Thomas probably schools Ayres in practice and they can't have the FO looking like total losers.

FO doesn't operate that way, fool. James Anderson was just cut, and they moved on with Danny Green, also a dleague call up.

[ElNono]

I was hoping he would be the next Mensah-Bonsu, tbh... Haven't had a chance yet...

[Bruno]

Even if he is waive tomorrow, Thomas would have cost $146K to Spurs. That's a lot of money for 3 games with the Toros. It would be so weird to see Spurs waiving him without giving him a try with Spurs, especially that his skillset is an amazing fit for what Spurs need.

Spurs have 4 games left to try him before his contract becomes guaranteed for the year.

[TheGoldStandard]

Sacramento would make the most sense to give him some minutes

[exstatic]

Sacramento would make the most sense to give him some minutes

Any shitty team could give him minutes.

[TheGoldStandard]

Any shitty team could give him minutes.

Talking about Sundays game against Sacramento