A Moose Track
I'm sick of bonafide players cruising under the radar because they're toiling away on teams out of the playoff hunt. If you don't win, you don't get credit for any amount of numbers you're putting up. Lopez and Harris are both all-star threats on the 3-30 Nets. Love is averaging a triple-double on the seven win Wolves, if anyone cares. Andre Iguodala is throwing up 19-6-5 nightly for the Sixers, who have collected a dismal 10 victories this year. If you don't win, you don't get attention.
The same goes for up-and-comers; not just trapped superstars. Thaddeus Young for Philly. Eric Gordon for the LA Clippers. Anthony Randolph for Nellie's Warriors. But, on par with all in skill and production but below in exposure, Jason Thompson is overshadowed even in his own city (by rookie phenom Tyreke Evans).
Only two sophomores average more rebounds per-game (Marc Gasol, 10.0, and Brook Lopez, 9.7) than Thompson (9.2). His scoring is consistently among the leaders of his team (14.2). He picks up an adequate amount of assists for a power forward (2.1). He averages enough blocks (.9) and steals (.6) to be considered a tough matchup on D.
Thompson's build is perfect for his position. Standing 6-11 and weighing in at 250 pounds, he is on the larger side of his position. He runs the floor very well for a player his size, allowing his athleticism to shine through in transition and in the halfcourt game as well. He possesses world-class footwork, allowing him to shake defenders and take high-percentage shots. He's close to a sure two, with his percentage a hair under 50% (.496).
His consistency is underrated. As the starting power forward in just his second year on the Kings, the 23 year-old has started all 33 games so far, while averaging big minutes for a player in his situation (35.3 per). He has banged out 12 double-doubles this year, good for 21 in the league, one spot ahead of, ahem, LeBron James. His efficiency rating is high (+18.67), and he has developed into a large part of Sacramento's game.
Too bad he's stuck out there.
--Moose
