Departing Dawg: Is Trey Thompkins bound for NBA glory?
Here's Trey with a dunked-home deuce. (AP photo)
Trey Thompkins will be in the NBA next season, and we need ask: How good a pro can the former Bulldog be?
Short answer: Pretty darn good.
Quick caveat: Providing he gets in shape.
Only once — in his sophomore season — did we get an extended glimpse of how effective Howard Thompkins III can be. He was hurt before games began in 2008-2009 and never played his way into form, hurt again in practice this season past and always seemed to be playing catch-up ball, at least conditioning-wise.
His numbers took a slight dip, and he didn’t ace the eyeball test, either. Only occasionally — against Kentucky in Athens on Jan. 8; against Washington in the only NCAA tournament game of his Georgia career — did he appear as dominant as his preseason SEC player of the year led us to expect. He was good, as opposed to great.
He can, however, be a much better professional. He has an NBA body and NBA skills. He’s 6-foot-10, 245 pounds. So’s Al Horford, although Thompkins wouldn’t appear half as strong. He’ll never be pressed into service as a center: Thompkins is a pure power forward, which isn’t a bad thing to be.
NBAdraft.net projects Thompkins as the 16th overall pick, the highest the site has had him in a while. I’m thinking he could move upward. (The first 14 picks comprise the lottery.) I don’t think he’ll be top 10, but I’d be surprised if he’s not in the top 20. But to become an NBA starter, a double-double guy, he has to get stronger and more forceful.
Speaking of Thompkins back in February, an NBA scout told me: “I’m not sure what he does well.” I can think of several things: He can shoot from distance, score down low and pass from the high post. I think what happened with Thompkins this season is that he didn’t do any of those things often enough to delight scouts, but now that he announced he’s leaving they’ll look harder. There are things there to like.
As for Travis Leslie, the Bulldog who has declared for the draft but has retained the right to remove himself: He’d be better served staying another year at Georgia, although I’m not sure he will. NBAdraft.net projects him as the first pick of Round 2 — in 2012. He’d surely get drafted this year if he leaves, but not so highly as a man of his talent should. Leslie needs another season to prove he’s not just another of those power guards (think Dion Glover) who fizzle so quickly in the pros.
But he probably shouldn’t take my advice. I had Purdue going to the Final Four.
By Mark Bradley
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77 comments Add your comment
Me
April 6th, 2011
12:46 pm
And shall we relive the Wesleyan State Championship game Trey’s senior year? You recall the one where he fell and couldn’t walk off the floor without help but was diving on the dog pile at half court when Tanner Smith won them the game? Its always all about Trey.
MalibuGT
April 6th, 2011
12:48 pm
Mark, curious your view on NC State’s hire as well as seeing Butler, VCU, and Witchita State all retaining their talented coaches. these mid majors are ponying up pretty good $$. I was surprised by NC State’s decision.
ormewood
April 6th, 2011
1:09 pm
NC State job is a challenging one, with top of the top five programs within 30 minutes of their campus. Plus, their fans are pretty brutal.
JackP
April 6th, 2011
1:22 pm
He may be headed for the NBA draft but will he make a team? Maybe. Will he achieve glory? No way Jose. Not going to happen. He will float around the league for 2-3 yrs and then disappear. He will end up broke with little education to fall back on. Sad story but it happens quite often.
bruce mac
April 6th, 2011
1:35 pm
I could care less if Trey makes it big or flitters like most, the NBA is boring beyond belief. As far as UGA next year, I sense we are better off without him. You can’t coach 6′ 10″ but he doesn’t play like it anyway. He is busy shooting threes and directing traffic at the top of the key. We need a leaper like Bama has and life will be good for UGA in 2012. I wish Barnes had one more year.
JB
April 6th, 2011
1:39 pm
Better to try the NBA vs taking a chance in this Obama economy. Nobody is hiring.This prez hasn’t got a clue……………Or does he. May be working just like he wants it. Dependency.
MaxxDawg
April 6th, 2011
2:07 pm
He is a great prospect for the NBA. In addition to shooting, he can also dribble, rebound and block shots.
Me
April 6th, 2011
2:09 pm
MaxxDawg you aren’t very observant are you? Did you not notice Trey attempting to dribble the ball with his left hand vs. Bama in the SEC tournament? The scouting report was ‘he has no left hand.’ So don’t say he can dribble.
Legend of Len Barker
April 6th, 2011
3:09 pm
Thompkins will be drafted, but he won’t make it. He was a standout at Georgia, but guys built like him are a dime a dozen in the NBA. And unlike Thompkins, most of them can actually do more than score over smaller opponents in the paint. He’s not durable enough or strong enough to stand out. Thompkins’s ankles aren’t good enough to last Georgia’s seasons. What’s he going to do with a schedule more than twice as long?
Travis Leslie will have a longer NBA career as while he’s not great at any particular skill, athleticism lets you hang around. Andre Igoudala is a prime example.
BuckheadBill
April 6th, 2011
3:27 pm
I think that one Trey injury was diving for a ball in PRACTICE.
BG
April 6th, 2011
3:28 pm
Trey will make an excellent NBA player.
BigGAdawg
April 6th, 2011
3:29 pm
BTW:
First = A desperate cry for attention and affirmation.
Kudos (not actually an attaboy) is actually from the ancient Sumerian meaning, “You sucky loser.”
Larry
April 6th, 2011
3:48 pm
I think Thompkins will be a bust in the NBA and will disappear on a roster, much like Sheldon Williams from Duke. Travis Leslie has to learn how to play guard and I don’t know if that’s possible.
VillaRicaDawg
April 6th, 2011
3:56 pm
Thompkins and Leslie will be drafted, but will land in the NBDL or overseas. That’s it.
Barry
April 6th, 2011
4:19 pm
Really? Draft this guy? If anyone is dumb enough, they will regret it. He will be playing in some crap euro league in 2 years.
Me
April 6th, 2011
4:44 pm
I’m glad I am not the only one that thinks Thompkins is SOFT. Not one ounce of toughness. But again, I hold Mark Fox just as guilty because he let Trey blame teammates and you can’t have that. STEP UP FOX.
Buckeye
April 6th, 2011
5:23 pm
Me,
I was at that game too. Howard ( before I was NBA) took a really nasty fall on his hip right before the first half ended. The game was more of a microcosm of Tanner Smith’s career than anything else – with Howard then without Howard ( Oak Hill) then with Howard ( first half) then without Howard
(second half). Tanner put the team on his shoulders, he created shots and literally willed the championship victory. I felt bad for Howard ( before I was NBA) but the untimely injury ( and mind you, it happened on the court – he wasn’t faking anything) was a portend of things to come.
RaleighDawg
April 6th, 2011
10:38 pm
Good one Bruce Mac !! Wishing Barnes had another year ROTFL !!!! You are so funny !!
Ben
April 7th, 2011
8:22 am
Mark, have to agree with the guys assessment of “what does he do well”. Trey is a great player but 6′10″ guys who don’t have a great post-game don’t stick around very long unless your name is Dirk or Durant.
He can hit from 3 but not very consistently like you need to in the NBA. I always screamed when he would throw those up and not to mention all times he’d decide to bring the ball up the court himself.
I just never saw him take over enough games like an NBA star should in college. Still, if he’s smart he can have a solid career as a secondary piece on a team, get a couple of contracts, and make millions. No brainer.
sansho1
April 7th, 2011
8:49 am
Thompkins was at the top of the key so often because that’s the offense Fox runs. And it made sense with Price in the low post. Anyway, if he didn’t hit some jumpers Clark Kellogg would have never gotten to say that he was “displaying his full package”.
The Guy is Good...
April 7th, 2011
10:14 am
When I see Trey I think LaMarcus Aldridge. And he’s turned out fine.
KD
April 7th, 2011
10:25 am
All of them should stay for 4 years, that’s what they signed for !!
Larry Drew
April 7th, 2011
10:47 am
Come to the Hawks Trey! We need more worthless 1st round picks!
theight
April 7th, 2011
11:53 am
Thompkins is a great comparison to Antwan Jamison.
AUG2424
April 7th, 2011
12:08 pm
Trey has a good skill set. He would have to play within a triangle offense like the Lakers. I think his lateral quickness is too slow and is not a consistent enough outside shooter for the pro game. Also, he comes across as very soft and doesn’t rebound very well for his size. I think he’ll be in the league for 5 or 6 years but as a role player. Travis Leslie would be better suited to land with a team like Golden State. He needs to be in a very uptempo style offense. His outside shot is suspect and has no left hand dribble. I see Leslie lasting longer in the NBA but not getting drafted higher than Thompkins.
B
April 11th, 2011
4:23 pm
Thompkins has more than shown he has a high level of talent while at UGA. Whether he was in shape or hurt anytime the Bulldogs have done anything he was on the floor.
Now that I see all the comments you are making I see why kids never come to UGA. Wish the kid luck as not many people have this opportunity. He has work to do in order to get drafter and even more work to do to be effective in the NBA.
No one in the NBA is operating off of pure talent a strong work ethic is a must for all players. Let’s get behind our players at times like this.
LakeDawg
April 12th, 2011
7:47 pm
Thompkins needs another year of developement. He’s got to get in shape, as Mark pointed out, so he can move his feet and play defense. He also needs to toughen up a bit. He was great in the first half against UW, but disappeared in the second half until the frantic end. That indicates a lack of mental toughess , also. He would be better served coming back. The NBA often doesn’t give someone a chance to develope. You either prove you belong right away or you sit on the bench. With developement, Thompkins could be an NBA starter, but he might not get that chance.