Tyrus v Lamarcus, Did we make the right choice? Options

[Chicago Bulls Fr...]

Ok, Im calling it, a Tyrus v Lamarcus thread just for discussion. Do you think we still made the right choice with Tyrus? Or do you think we should have kept Lamarcus?

Right now Tyrus is averaging 4.6 ppg 3.4 rpg and 1.1 bpg

Right now Lamarcus is averaging 9.1 ppg 5.0 rpg and 1.2 bpg

It looks as though Lamarcus may have been the better choice by those stats but I beg to differ. Right now I would say Aldridge might help us a tad bit more than Tyrus could because of his low post scoring ability and his 6'10 frame but Tyrus ever since allstar break has definitely grown up and has shown signs of becoming the player I had invisioned later on in his career. In terms of blocking shots, Tyrus is among the top 5 in blocks per 48 minutes but his offensive game is not great right now. The only reason Lamarcus is averaging more points is because he is starting and playing considerably more minutes per game than Tyrus Thomas. In the future I see Tyrus blowing by Lamarcus Aldridge because he is the more physical of the two and if he can just get stronger he will be unstoppable with a low post game.

IMO Tyrus's cieling is around 20 ppg 12 rpg 3-4 bpg and 2 apg

Thats about what I'd say is his Maximum potential.

This is what I feel is like Aldridge's cieling. 21 ppg 10 rpg 2 bpg 3 apg

Pretty close but like I said, I think Tyrus can surpass him within 2-3 years, we won't even be having this discussion after both there careers are over.

But going back to the question, would you rather have Aldridge or Tyrus for the future?

[madisonsmadhouse]

Ask me in a couple of years, but this is how I see it. Aldridge has a much more polished game today, but a much lower ceiling. Thomas is a freak athlete, who needs to listen to Scott Skiles every second of everyday to learn the game of basketball. If they can hone his ability, and narrow his focus to optimize his game, he is going to be an elite player. The question becomes can they do it? He will be a project. The nice thing is that with the Bulls depth, they can bring him along as they need to.

[ZoomSlowik]

Ask me in a couple of years, but this is how I see it. Aldridge has a much more polished game today, but a much lower ceiling. Thomas is a freak athlete, who needs to listen to Scott Skiles every second of everyday to learn the game of basketball. If they can hone his ability, and narrow his focus to optimize his game, he is going to be an elite player. The question becomes can they do it? He will be a project. The nice thing is that with the Bulls depth, they can bring him along as they need to.

I wouldn't say that his ceiling is MUCH higher. Most people say that Aldridge has 20-10 potential, and he isn't a slouch athletically. It's hard to get too much better than that as a big man. I would say it is a bit higher because Tyrus appears to be much more likely to be a defensive stopper, but it also looks like Aldridge is more likely to be a major offensive threat, which means Tyrus has to close that gap a bit.

Best case scenarios, I'd say Tyrus turns into Shawn Marion (only switch the steals and blocks) and Aldridge turns into Chris Bosh. You can debate which one you'd rather have, I'd personally lean towards Bosh a bit. Of course the real question is which is more like to get there? The jury is still out on that one...

[Balta1701-B]

Best case scenarios, I'd say Tyrus turns into Shawn Marion (only switch the steals and blocks) and Aldridge turns into Chris Bosh. You can debate which one you'd rather have, I'd personally lean towards Bosh a bit. Of course the real question is which is more like to get there? The jury is still out on that one...

I don't think Tyrus has a shot at developing the kind of outside shot presence and threat that Marion has. If we're looking to the Suns and saying "highest possible ceiling", I think TT fits the Amare role a lot more than the Marion role.

[ZoomSlowik]

I don't think Tyrus has a shot at developing the kind of outside shot presence and threat that Marion has. If we're looking to the Suns and saying "highest possible ceiling", I think TT fits the Amare role a lot more than the Marion role.

I'd say he'll be closer to Marion than Amare. I don't think he's ever going to be that kind of post scorer, though he'll also likely be a better defender than Amare is right now. The only real difference I see between him at his peak and Marion is that 3-pointer, and that's more of a style/shot selection difference than anything...

I think if Tyrus works on it, he could be a hell of a low post scorer, and a great one on one scorer. You cannot teach the explosiveness first step and leaping ability that Tyrus has. If someone sits down with him and teaches his footwork to him, he could be a guy who scores 20-25 a game. That being said, the odds are probably long of that happening, because Tyrus seems to have a pretty short attention span about things. I do think he will settle in the 15 point 12 rebound 2 block area in his career, which will be nice with the guard work the Bulls have.

It'd take A TON of work to turn him into a serious scorer at this point. He has virtually no experience/moves with his back to the basket, doesn't yet have a reliable jumper, and lacks the solid ball-handling skills necessary to be an elite slasher. That makes it a little hard to develop into an elite scorer. Impossible? No, but it does seem like a stretch until we at least see some significant progress.

Yes, that last scenario is roughly what I see as a reasonable expectation for him in a few years (though 12 boards is probably a bit of a stretch with his current bulk level, I'd expect more like 9 or 10), basically what Josh Smith gives you right now. Obviously I wouldn't have a problem with that kind of production.