Tyrus Thomas in a Nutshell

Posted by on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 2 Comments

I tried my hardest to find a picture of Tyrus Thomas last night.  In the last moments of the game against the Knicks, Thomas was violently swatting at a Nate Robinson shooting the possibly tying three point field goal shot attempt.  Not just once, but twice.  I thought to myself, since Tyrus Thomas is far too large to actually fit in side of a nut’s shell, that’s really him in a nut shell.

And what kind of a shell has a nut like that?  The kind that is energy without thought, decision making without actually making a decision.  Instinct with no regards for result.  Of course, Thomas blocked the shot (and probably hit Nate’s tiny midget hand), because of course he would.  He’s amongst the most athletic players in the league, but at the same time, he’s governed almost entirely by his body.

There seems to be nothing in him that says, “maybe you can’t actually block every shot,” while his legs and arms are saying, “maybe you can.”  Ergo, if someone kept goaltending statistics (someone does, I’m sure), Thomas would be top 10.  Unlike the Celtics’ blocking shots after the whistle for intimidation, Thomas’ attempts to block anything and everything are more of a fact-finding mission.  Just what can and can’t he do?  It’s sometimes frustrating to watch, because what happens is often infuriating.  Goaltending gives points to the other team, and with Chicago, every point counts.  Last night, if the Bulls are on the road, maybe Nate is shooting free throws to tie.

However, it’s also fascinating to actually get to watch a player discover what he can and can’t do.  It’s like that scene in Spider Man when he’s learning his web-shooting maneuvers, only way less Tobey McGuire-y.  In time, I’m sure Thomas will hone his instincts, and hopefully become a upper echelon shot-blocker, but for now, I’m enjoying being mad at him for doing silly things that work out well.

And since I couldn’t find a picture of his latest foray in to silly blocks, here’s a picture of Tyrus Thomas smiling, which seems like the least natural thing he’s ever done.tyrus-thomas-smiling

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About Trey Kerby: Trey Kerby is the mastermind behind the popular weblog which they call The Blowtorch (www.theblowtorch.net), America's premier NBA humor site. Trey is located just outside Chicago, in a house with several windows. He is author or co-author of several books, including To Kill a Mockingbird, The Watchmen, There's a Wocket In My Pocket, and The Iliad. When not devising jokes, he likes to spend time with his wife, try to find his cat, and/or laugh. He is currently searching for a publisher of his untitled book of NBA facts which is scheduled to be released prior to the 2009-2010 NBA season. If you want, email him at theblowtorch[at]gmail[dot]com.

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goathair

You're right about Q. I messed that up.

This entire post is about giving him credit.

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Sav

It was Quentin Richardson whose 3-point attempt was blocked by Thomas, and I'm kind of stunned at this complaint. Thomas has been, for the most part, really good for two months. How about giving him some credit?

Also, Thomas is 8th in blocks per game so he is pretty much an upper-echelon shot blocker. Even more amazing, he's about 3-5 inches shorter than those on the list with him.

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