Two years ago, Lance Thomas wasn't supposed to have a long NBA career. Heck, he wasn't even supposed to have a sustained one. Thomas' pro basketball life was supposed to take him other places: to the D-Legaue or Europe or somewhere else where he could make a nice living but where he wouldn't be in the public spotlight.
Now, he couldn't be in more opposite of a position, thriving as a consistent rotation player in the NBA's biggest media market for the Knicks. He's transformed his game, and his workouts over this past summer.
Marc Berman of the New York Post detailed Thomas' evolution:
Thomas has become a capable defender, as well, but the real change has come in the jump shot. He's not sinking almost 42 percent of his three-point attempts on the season, taking 3.4 long balls per 36 minutes.
To put that improvement in perspective, Thomas has made 22 triples this year. Coming into the season, he had sunk exactly seven...in his entire career. All of those game last season, when he seldom put up shots from beyond the arc.
In the offseason, Thomas added range to his jump shot, becoming a legitimate 3-point threat. Training in New Orleans, Thomas said he was lofting 500 to 600 shots a day, sometimes twice that if he did a two-a-day session.
Thomas gained 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason, with a renewed dedication to weightlifting. Defense, hustle and 3-point shooting have kept him in Fisher’s penthouse and even have the coaching staff considering starting him over underachieving center Robin Lopez and moving Kristaps Porzingis to center.
Thomas is averaging 8.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and shooting 47 percent. His 3-point percentage of 41.5 is second-best on the Knicks. His 52 3-point attempts is more than double the number he took in his first four seasons combined (23).
“I feel like I’m in the best shape of my career right now,’’ Thomas said, referring to his weight gain. “It’s helping me defensively. My rebounding numbers don’t show it, but I’m holding off guys, allowing guards to come in and get rebounds. I feel a lot stronger on the floor without fatigue, which is something that’s amazing. It’s hard not to play the game tired. I don’t feel tired when I’m out there. I’m giving all on defense but still have something in the tank on offense and taking advantage.’’
