Is Kurt Thomas the right choice for the New York Knicks at centre? – NBA Special Report (Part-2)
Advantage: Kurt Thomas is very strong on the defence
The New York Knicks have a couple of very good forwards in the shape of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire and they are more than capable to stimulate the offensive system. However, they, especially Carmelo Anthony mightily struggled
to perk up the defence in the last season and to cater for this very weakness; the franchise has been looking for a defensive specialist.
Having Kurt Thomas on the roster, who is known for his defensive prowess, the Knicks will be able to shore up the gaps in their back court and they under the guidance of Mark D’Antoni, a man known for his offense based strategies,
the Knicks can be just the team, the Dallas Mavericks were this season – mighty on the offense and gritty at the back.
With the kind of experience Thomas carries, he can impart his knowledge and skill to the younger lot as well and it also solves the problem of finding a defensive assistant for D’Antoni. During his seven dominating season in the
Knicks uniform, New York never had a problem on the defence as that department was well taken care of by Thomas.
The 38-year-old Kurt plays a complete defensive game and with loads of experience at hand, he can easily hound the very best forwards in the league.
Disadvantage: Kurt Thomas won’t be effective defensively for long
Even though Kurt is still quite dynamic on defence however defence requires agility and at 39, Kurt isn’t left with much of its reservoirs. The league is full of athletic and agile forwards who can create problems for Thomas. His
offensive play had started to diminish a few years back and with the game getting faster by the day, Kurt’s consistency and his fitness can definitely come into question.
After leaving the New York Knicks in the 2004-2005 season, Thomas failed to finish in double figures. Last year, he landed an average of 4.1 points with the Chicago Bulls. Thomas was still able to keep up his defensive play however,
but will that facet stay for long is the intriguing question.
Advantage: Thomas is coming back to where he used to be at his best
Although Thomas is only a shadow of the past as far as the offensive prowess is concerned, he still tries to step it up and off late has proven to be a good facilitator and perimeter shooter. The Knicks and the fans are well aware
of his versatility and he was considered as a constant double-double threat during his heyday tenure with New York from 1999-2005. His last season with the Knicks in 2004-2005 was his best year as an all-round performer when he averaged 11.5 points, 10.4 rebounds,
2.0 assist and one block per game. By coming back to the New York Knicks, Thomas will be encouraged to perform at the same level.
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