June 23rd, 2011 
Russ Loede 
Posted in 
Thompson Was The Choice Over Valanciunas
NBADraft.net comparison: Charles Smith
Strengths: A lefty post player with a tremendous wingspan … He has made improvements to his body, shedding the baby fat he carried throughout high-school, he has also added some mass and definition (his frame shows the potential to support even more weight without taking away from his explosiveness) … A good athlete, he is able to make plays on both ends of the floor thanks to his length, energy and blue collar approach… He establishes good early position and gets a high number of easy looks in transition thanks to his ability to run the floor … Battles for position and is able to get touches very close to the basket because he seals and counterseals extremely well … Has very good hands and makes difficult catches in traffic and on the move … Shows the ability to turn to both shoulders effectively and can finish with mini jump hooks with both hands … He is becoming more comfortable using his body and quick feet to beat defenders to the spot … He flashes the ability to faceup and attack off the bounce, but he will need to continue to polish his handles before he can fully utilize his quick and long first step.
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