Man, y’all know there isn’t much I love more than Marcus “Lil Buckets” Thornton and James Posey. But you know what might be an exception? A post all about Buckets and Pose. Which this SB Nation one by Andrew Sharp is. Is Thornton a future “glue guy”? He’s certainly got the hustle to be, even if the biggest knock on him is that he doesn’t have the height.
Watching the end of the Hornets-Grizzlies game last night… I noticed Marcus Thornton, the rookie guard for New Orleans. He’s surprisingly solid, and has been playing well all season long. Last night in the fourth quarter, in a close game, he didn’t look out of place on the floor. Between Chris Paul and James Posey, there was Thornton in the backcourt, more than holding his own.
For a rookie drafted in the second round, that’s a pretty serious endorsement. And while it may not happen in New Orleans, there’s a good chance that Marcus Thornton will wind up making serious contributions to a contender down the line. He’s that good. Or more specifically, he’s good at specific things that are important.
Really, I think the thing I love most about loving a rookie is not knowing who he’s going to be. There are players like Emeka Okafor who’ve put up the same stats every year of their career from the get-go. And there are guys who show flashes as rookies, only to disappoint. And then there are players whose numbers are only all right, until a switch inside of them flips and they suddenly “get it” two or three years in.
Today Thornton is averaging 9-2 in 18.5 minutes. He’s been in double figures for seven straight games, after that December rough patch, and he’s recently graduated to seeing crunch time minutes. So I guess the question is, has Thornton “gotten it” yet? What’s his ceiling? We ended up getting a sweet seat upgrade for the Grizzlies game the other day, and were pretty low down in 111, right behind the Hornets bench. From there it was interesting to see how much time the coaching staff is spending talking to Marcus. Chris Paul, commendably, is also always in both the rookies’ ears. Thornton is only about 6-3 but he crashes the boards more aggressively than most of our guards (and forwards, really). He has one of the quickest releases on the team, hustle, and good instincts. And he plays like he’s got absolutely no fear. I’ve been reading “if only he was three inches taller, he could be our shooting guard for the future.” With all due respect, that’s kind of B.S. coming from fans of a team that is led by the best small guard on the planet. How much of success is raw physical tools, and how much is drive? You can’t quantify that, and Buckets happens to have one of the best role models for doing amazing things with the size you have.
You keep that chip on your shoulder, Buckets. Draft position ain’t nothing but a number.
Rocking out
I ordered a Buckets jersey, but they spelled his name wrong. Weak, NBA store. Weak.
Someday…. someday.
I’m right there with you on the Buckets love.. Something about the guy just fascinates me. He plays with this balls-out intensity that is a joy to watch. Every time he hits a three or gets a tip-in or something, I get all warm and fuzzy.