Derryck Thornton's game is like. ...
- Thread starter Voldukie
- Start date
I don't think there's a ton of parallels to Napier / Farrell -- who are both ball dominant scoring PGs, but I do see some similarities to a taller version of Tyler Ullis. I'm hardly an expert on Thornton, but a lot of the articles about his commitment seem to suggest he's got a similar game to Tyus -- i.e., he's more of a pass-first guard who can score (rather than defend). From what I've read, he's probably not as good a scorer as Tyus, but a much better defender.
You can laugh if you want, but I have read only one comparison for Thornton, and that is Kyrie (as in Irving)!
Keep in mind, that is based on potential, but he has very similar handles as Kyrie, just not as refined. It will take a little time for him to settle in and adjust to D-1 talent, but playing for K will help his maturity in volumes.
I've seen him play against the best HS talent out there, and he is not quite as "flashy" as Kyrie was, but he does not lack for being aggressive!
Very excited to see what "K" does with him.
Go Duke!!
JC-OFC
Keep in mind, that is based on potential, but he has very similar handles as Kyrie, just not as refined. It will take a little time for him to settle in and adjust to D-1 talent, but playing for K will help his maturity in volumes.
I've seen him play against the best HS talent out there, and he is not quite as "flashy" as Kyrie was, but he does not lack for being aggressive!
Very excited to see what "K" does with him.
Go Duke!!
JC-OFC
I do see some parallels in the cleverness of Thornton's ball hand-handling, but not sure I see anywhere near the same kind of finishing / scoring ability at this stage. Also, while Kyrie's not a John Wall / Russell Westbrook type athlete, he is 6'3 and did enter college with a lot more physical maturity -- far more than even his weight would suggest. In fact, what really surprised me about Kyrie on day 1 was how well he finished around the rim after absorbing contract.
While everyone focuses on Kyrie's ballhandling -- and that is clearly spectacular, he's a lot like Tyus Jones in that a lot of what makes him great is hard to clearly quantify or explain. For instance, while I wouldn't call Kyrie a spectacular leaper, I almost never see his shot get blocked at the rim b/c he has an innate sense of how to use his body to shield defenders, can shoot from a number of difficult arm angles, and is very creative with the spins he puts on the ball -- and Tyus had a lot of that as well. Because of that, I think it's dangerous to use a guys like Kyrie and Tyus as comparisons -- b/c a lot of what makes them great is very subtle and hard to replicate.
While everyone focuses on Kyrie's ballhandling -- and that is clearly spectacular, he's a lot like Tyus Jones in that a lot of what makes him great is hard to clearly quantify or explain. For instance, while I wouldn't call Kyrie a spectacular leaper, I almost never see his shot get blocked at the rim b/c he has an innate sense of how to use his body to shield defenders, can shoot from a number of difficult arm angles, and is very creative with the spins he puts on the ball -- and Tyus had a lot of that as well. Because of that, I think it's dangerous to use a guys like Kyrie and Tyus as comparisons -- b/c a lot of what makes them great is very subtle and hard to replicate.
Last edited:
Here' what Thornton does and you can decide who that fits inline with:
Changes speeds and directions fluidly and on a dime
Exceptional court vision
Solid finisher off glass (spins the ball really nicely)
Athletic enough to finish over taller defenders but typically chooses wisely to go around
Great break starter
Defensive minded and capable
Could work on his shot, his pull up game and his looks on the secondary break
Changes speeds and directions fluidly and on a dime
Exceptional court vision
Solid finisher off glass (spins the ball really nicely)
Athletic enough to finish over taller defenders but typically chooses wisely to go around
Great break starter
Defensive minded and capable
Could work on his shot, his pull up game and his looks on the secondary break
Here's what an ESPN writer noted and though I've only seen a few highlight videos, looks just right. And, I can't wait!
I really like what he brings to the table. Should be really fun to watch.
I really like what he brings to the table. Should be really fun to watch.