The Voice of Sanity... JT vs. C-Webb and the Mailman
Jason Thompson has been compared in recent days to Webber and Karl Malone. So in the interest of fairness and giving TZ a little down time, I did some research.
I decided that the best way to compare the three players was to look at their college stats from the last year they played for their respective schools. I've put these numbers into the table below.
There are a couple of caveats, though. First, for some odd reason, Webber's rebounding and turnover stats from college have vanished from all the player profile pages I looked at. And second, though I tried my best to find the stats for him, apparently God never played college ball. Sorry, Section.
|
|
FG% |
3pt% |
FT% |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
TO |
PPG |
|
JT |
56.1 |
32.4 |
58.1 |
12.1 |
2.7 |
1.1 |
2.7 |
2.9 |
20.4 |
|
CW |
61.9 |
33.8 |
55.2 |
??? |
2.5 |
1.4 |
2.5 |
??? |
19.2 |
|
KM |
54.1 |
0.0 |
57.1 |
9.0 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
.5 |
2.5 |
16.5 |
Valid arguments can be made about Thompson playing for a small school in a weaker conference, and I'm sure JT's the best player Rider has ever seen, so his numbers may be a liitle inflated.
Only time will tell what kind of player he turns out to be. I like his game so far, He seems to have a lot of Webber's smoothness and instincts, but it's way too early to call Thompson the second coming of C-Webb.
I think this statistical comparison shows that Jason Thompson belongs in the league, and that, being a 12th pick, he'll end up surprising a lot of people. And at this point, I'm happy with that.
(This is a FanPost from a member of the Sactown Royalty community. The views expressed come from the member, and not Sactown Royalty staff.)
2 recs |
22 comments
Comments
Chris Webber's stats
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/webbech01.html
10 RPG in ‘92
10.1 RPG in ‘93
It also has the amount of turnovers for each year, but I was too lazy to calculate T/O per game.
Anyways, comparing Webber’s stats at Michigan to Thompson’s numbers at Rider is a big stretch, as you already noted. However, LA Tech, where Karl Malone played, is probably not much better than Rider in terms of strength of schedule. Malone was also a late lottery selection like Thompson (13th and 12th respectively).
Not that I’m saying there is any good reason to think Thompson will end being near as good as either Malone or Webber, who are both likely among the top 5 PF’s in the history of the game. Honestly, we’d be lucky if he even makes an all star team.
by dmj on Jul 19, 2008 6:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Nice work, LPA
Now…IMPRESS ME! Dig up Malone and Webber’s summer league stats and let’s compare those. Then and only then will we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that all of us here worry about the Kings more than the Kings themselves.
I-can’t-wait-for-the-season-to-begin!
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Jul 19, 2008 8:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
You mean...you're not impressed already?
(sigh)
I can’t wait for the season to begin, either, and they haven’t even released next season’s schedule!
TickTickTickTickTickTick
by LeaguePassAddict on Jul 19, 2008 9:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm going to go out on a limb
and say that JT will be better than the all time great…..Frank Brickowski!!!!
BTW, LPA nice work, thanks!
Oh and God did play college ball, but I’m pretty sure his stats don’t compare with these guys.
I might also add that Jessica Alba is a championship piece, if he thinks Ron is too, more power to him. ;p -Kfan in Korea
by kangsfan on Jul 20, 2008 12:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
At Thompson's age
Webber put up 23 points 7 boards and 5 assists in the NBA. I would love him show even some of the greatness that Webb and Malone displayed but right now these comparisons are absurd.
"everything was beautiful and nothing hurt"
by richmond02 on Jul 20, 2008 9:25 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
and shot 54% from the field
side note: the 7 rebounds was his lowest for any season before the microfracture surgery.
"everything was beautiful and nothing hurt"
by richmond02 on Jul 20, 2008 9:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Its easy to forget
Webber was perhaps the best, most dominant PF in the for many years. Thats a lot to be compared to.
eternal skeptical optimist
by lietothegirls on Jul 20, 2008 9:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
i dont ever remember webber being dominant
but a very good player, yes.
"everything was beautiful and nothing hurt"
by richmond02 on Jul 20, 2008 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Very very very well said
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on
by pookeyguru on Jul 21, 2008 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If by "dominant"
you mean that, in his prime, his skills were so great that he could dominate a game or an opponent, no matter who was defending him, not just once in a while but many times, then between 1999 and 2001 Chris Webber was certainly a dominant power forward.
Maybe some of you are remembering when he was hobbled by injury, but, c’mon, when healthy the guy was a freakin’ wonder! Running the court, making pinpoint passes and textbook perfect pick-and-rolls, playing above the rim and too strong to stop around the basket, but able to step back and knock down 20 foot jumpers without blinking. A quick, tough defender and rebounder, intimidating shot blocker. Jeez, he did it all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEPvD7MMvis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ5Hw4sPK2g&feature=related
In fact, by most measurable ways of looking at it, over most of the 2000/2001 season Chris was probably the best player in the NBA, much less the best power forward. In any case, he had better overall stats than Duncan or Garnett that year. And e was certainly better than Nowitzki or Malone or anybody else at his position at the time.
Maybe you don’t call that dominant, but I would.
"When the going gets Weird, the Weird turn professional."
(Hunter Thompson)
by Mucho Moss on Jul 23, 2008 2:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I remember him in those years
I don’t remember watching him be a dominant PF. I remember some saying it, but I certainly was never in agreement with that.
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on
by pookeyguru on Jul 23, 2008 3:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dominant
Yeah, that may not be a completely accurate statement, but he was the best player on a premier team for a number of years. I liken him to ‘Sheed in that respect. Wallace is probably the best player on that premier Pistons team, but I wouldn’t call him dominant. I guess that would also make Bibby their Billups.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Jul 23, 2008 8:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Billups was better
And caught a lesser Lakers team when he was at his best. The Kings never got that lucky. Rings are, in some small part, about luck after all aren’t they?
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on
by pookeyguru on Jul 23, 2008 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I like
what you’re saying about the Pistons/Kings, section. The “best player on the best team” comparison is an interesting way of looking at it. Still, I’d add one other factor: I don’t think anyone would have argued that Rasheed Wallace was the best player in the NBA, (or the second best player, or even the best power forward) even in his greatest season.
But in 2000/2001 quite a few people did make that argument for Chris Webber, and the numbers bolster that argument:
27.1 ppg; 11.1 RPG; 4.2 APG;
Also, Chris was 48 % from the field that year, despite the fact that he mixed it up between attacking the rim and hitting outside shots. His turnovers at just 2.8 a game, which is pretty crazy considering he averaged more than 40 minutes and nearly every play went through him at some point. And he averaged about a couple of blocks a game.
The only downgrade for Chris that year was he missed a dozen games in the regular season. That (and maybe the fact that he played in the Sacramento media market) probably cost him a deserved MVP award.
Again, maybe we’re all assuming a different meaning to the word “dominant’, but whatever term you use there was a stretch there in the early part of the decade where Chris Webber was the most versatile and dangerous big man in the NBA, a player no team wanted to have to deal with.
"When the going gets Weird, the Weird turn professional."
(Hunter Thompson)
by Mucho Moss on Jul 23, 2008 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
he averaged 40 mins?
Wonder if that contributed to the injury… in the same way it’s not good to run for half an hour before doing squats.
Mikki Moore in the skills challenge! - LPA
by iashwash on Jul 23, 2008 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Excellent Points, Mucho Moss
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Jul 23, 2008 7:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The only way you consider Webber the best PF is if you consider Tim Duncan a Center
Or Kevin Garnett a SF, which I do position wise, especially offensively, but not defensively. I don’t consider Garnett a true PF, and I definitelyi consider Duncan a PF, especially offensively.
That being said hoping JT becomes C-Webb is a tad much. But, it is what it is. For what it’s worth JT is a late bloomer, and C-Webb pretty much was the player he was from the time he got to the league. The only difference between JT and C-Webb eventually will be the amount of games each plays during the season’s they’ve played. (I”m willing to bet JT’s body holds up better than C-Webb’s did.)
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on
by pookeyguru on Jul 20, 2008 12:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Careful
Duncan’s wife will go all Jackie Christie on you if you so much as whisper that Timmy is a power forward.
Never forget: I am a complete idiot
by Exhibit G on Jul 20, 2008 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Duncan
made a bit of a stink this year when he was put on the all star ballot as a center (didn’t want to lose to Yao, don’t you know). So the league pulled the ballots and reprinted new ones with him at PF.
SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!
by section214 on Jul 20, 2008 9:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
and there was Malone, Kemp, and Barkley before those guys
"everything was beautiful and nothing hurt"
by richmond02 on Jul 20, 2008 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Thompson
even comes close to approaching Chris Webber’s numbers then they ought to erect a statue of Geoff Petrie in front of the Capitol Building, because that would prove he’s the most savvy talent evaluator in the history of the NBA.
Chris Webber was only 20 year old when he came into the NBA as the #1 overall pick, while the 2008 #12 pick is already 22 years old. But if Thompson starts 76 games as a rookie and averages 17.5 points, 9 rebounds and 3.6 assists, (Chris’s Rookie of the Year numbers in his first season) I’ll fly his freakin jersey from my house like a flag.
This Webber/Malone vs Jason Thompson talk is just shy of crazy talk, guys.
Thompson looks to have some real talent, and I hope he has a fine season. Heck, if he averages 12 or 13 pts, 6 or 7 rebounds a game, and doesn’t make too many dumb rookie mistakes I’ll be ecstatic!
And by the way pookey, it’s not really accurate to say that Webber was pretty much the player he was from the time he entered the NBA. For example, he became a much better playmaker/passer and improved his outside shot significantly through his first several seasons as a pro. He was certainly a more multi-faceted offensive threat by the time he was at his peak. Also, I think it’s fair to say he became more mature as a person and an all around better team player, especially after being coached by Adelman.
"When the going gets Weird, the Weird turn professional."
(Hunter Thompson)
by Mucho Moss on Jul 23, 2008 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

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