On Friday, a Trail Blazers era came to an end. Brandon Roy called it a career, Greg Oden is once again out for a majority of the season and the decision making of team management is under more scrutiny than ever.
It’s no wonder fans aren’t jumping for joy to welcome the newest team acquisition, Kurt Thomas.
On paper, the free agent pickup doesn’t do much for a lot of people. But as a Blazers fan, one name should come to mind when you think of Thomas.
Juwan Howard.
Howard has played for six teams since the 2006-07 season, but his one season with the Trail Blazers was arguably his most impactful season during that stretch. The team brought in Howard as insurance for a depleted front court before the 2009-10 season. He started 27 games that season and averaged 6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, which were the most the most Howard had recorded since the 2006-07 season with the Rockets.
Thomas, who is about to play for his sixth team since the 2006-07 season, is the oldest player in the NBA. His numbers have never been as impressive as Howard’s were when he was a consistent starter; but Thomas has kept his numbers higher late in his career. Comparable to Howard’s one year in Portland, Thomas averaged 4.1 points and 5.7 rebounds last year with the Chicago Bulls.
Numbers aside, Howard added something that the Blazers lacked during that injury-plagued season – toughness. Starting in 27 games because of injuries, Howard was the glue that kept the Blazers in the playoff picture and added a level of hardiness that the team lacked without Oden and Joel Przybilla. From the locker room to the court, Howard was there for the team in whatever capacity they needed him. He came into Portland virtually unknown by most casual viewers and left a fan favorite.
Thomas has experience playing the backup role to a wounded front court and has done it with the same physical and mental toughness that the Blazers will need following a traumatic start to training camp.
Last season, Thomas played in 52 games as a result of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah missing time with injuries. Despite referring to himself as a “pussycat,” Thomas has been noted by his new collection of teammates and coaches as a player who’s not afraid to be physical, set good screens and grab a jersey or two on defense.
But for a team lacking its former face of the franchise, bringing in a new player always has the potential to disrupt team chemistry. Thomas, however, is a smart, veteran player, who happens to have already played alongside his new frontcourt member, Marcus Camby.
Teammates in New York for four seasons, Thomas and Camby make up the oldest center duo in the NBA. What they lack in youth and potential, they clearly make up for in leadership and professionalism. When the Blazers brought on veteran point guard Andre Miller two years ago, styles and egos clashed as Miller tried to incorporate his own game with the team’s style. Thomas doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective, and as a player full of intangibles he can step up where and when need be.
In today’s NBA, where only perennial All-Stars seem to make the free agent headlines, Thomas isn’t going to be the sexy pickup every fan wants to see. But considering the Blazers find itself vulnerable and in need of leadership, maybe Thomas can be the glue that keeps this team together and resilient in a season full of questions.
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