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Greg Oden and Tyrus Thomas still battle it out on overseas teams
It’s interesting to note that Greg Oden and Tyrus Thomas, two very tall, very talented people that, sadly, fell out of the NBA’s favor due to injury (Oden) and indifference (Thomas), are still hoofing it in international leagues overseas. After making millions, both would have every reason to want to hang it up at this stage in their lives, especially after noting that neither really entered the NBA riding on a wave of anecdotes about them dribbling a tennis ball around their high school hallways in appreciation of their love of the game.
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Both aren’t exactly flourishing out of the league, but we would be remiss in not passing along two updates as to their current, apparently contented, status. Oden just wrapped up a season in the China Basketball Association, while Thomas is enjoying the stability of his current gig in Germany.
Reddit user ‘frankeyfang’ was kind enough to share details regarding the final outcome of Oden’s first year in China:
On Feb 1st, Jiangsu Dragons, the CBA team issued an official announcement that the contact between team and Oden has been terminated. Last night, Jiangsu lost 104-106 to Sichuan, and they officially missed the playoffs after this game. Two games left before the regular season end. This season, Oden played 25 games for Jiangsu, averaging 13 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.
A double-double average seems nice enough, and it is warming to note that 2007’s top overall NBA draft pick made it through an entire season (after a hand injury last fall) without his repeated knee issues knocking him out of significant action. Furthermore, the CBA is lousy with big men. He wasn’t exactly towering over a litany of 6-5 minor leaguers.
Still, most NBA expats tend to dominate the CBA, statistically – as Oden did in his first game in the league. This is the league where Jordan Crawford dropped 72 points, and they turned Stephon Marbury into a statue-earning legend long after he shot 34 percent in his final year in the NBA. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that Oden’s double-double turn will result in NBA scouts readying a recommendation to their general managers.
The same, even at age 29, appears to be the case for Tyrus Thomas. A season after his last brief NBA turn (a two-game, seven-minute cameo with the Memphis Grizzlies), the former No. 4 overall pick averages just over three points and three rebounds a game for a 4-15 team in Germany that is light years removed from Euroleague competition, much less the NBA.
That hardly matters, in a good way, to Thomas; especially has he still recovers from a major back surgery. From a typically-fantastic profile from the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson:
“From a physical standpoint, every game, every practice, I make sure I get better. Every day that I have less pain, every day that I'm able to go 100 percent, every day I'm able to get stronger and in better shape, the more I play longer spurts, I'm appreciative. I get to test myself and cherish each day mentally, physically and emotionally.
"Then, I'm also better dealing with the other elements I struggled with when I was younger — what's going on with the team, relationships with management and coaches, dealing with teammates. There have been games when I played six minutes and other games where I've played 26 out of 40. Either way, I got better. Maybe I cheered. Maybe I motivated teammates. Maybe I pointed out things to them during the game that I saw that maybe they didn't see."
[…]
"That's when I made the decision that I wanted to give it my all. I had to look at my career and all the ups and downs and be realistic with myself. At one point, I was holding onto the fact that I didn't have much consistency around me to help me flourish in the way I thought I needed. Six coaches in seven seasons and too many teammates to count. But I had to accept I wasn't as consistent with the things I could control. I would get emotional and worry about things out my control instead of focusing on working every day and giving 100 percent.
"That's where I am now. And if being in this place gets me back to the BBL next season, I can sleep with that. If it gets me to the Euroleague, I can sleep with that. If it gets me back to the NBA, I can sleep with that. But if I get none of that, that's also something I'm at peace with now."
(The entire column is well-worth your time, do give it a read.)
Chicago dealt the draft rights to LaMarcus Aldridge – the prize of the 2016 free agent class – for Thomas back in 2006. He led the league in Defensive Rating as a rookie, but never capitalized on his significant gifts, something he cops to in the Tribune feature. It’s true that his time in Chicago and Charlotte featured quite a bit of storm and stress, but quite a bit of that had a lot to do with how, exactly, the teams were attempting to solve a problem like Tyrus.
Thomas’ shooting form, despite all those misses, was always on point. He nearly had to make his LSU college team as a walk-on swingman before growing into power forward size, and there is always a chance that (despite his waning athleticism) Tyrus could make it back onto an NBA roster as a spot-minute corner jump-shooter at power forward.
Three points a game in a sub-tier German league, however, doesn’t bode well for any NBA future. As is the case with Oden, it’s tougher for interior players to dominate when they don’t get to walk the ball up court like a Marbury or Crawford, so there is that excuse, but the stateside prospects for what were essentially the No. 2 and No. 1 overall picks in consecutive NBA drafts are encouraging.
We’re just hoping, a decade removed from being drafted into a league they were expected to dominate, that both are happy. If Tyrus Thomas’ Instagram account is any indication, he’s well on his way:
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is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops
