National Basketball Association

New York Knicks: Lance Thomas Working On Suspect Handles

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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New York Knicks forward Lance Thomas poked fun at his, “Suspect handles.” He then continued to put in the work to improve them.

For all of the star power that the New York Knicks possess, the full potential of the season rests squarely on the shoulders of the unsung heroes. No matter how well the starters perform, New York needs its second unit to step up.

The most valuable two-way player on the second unit is hybrid forward Lance Thomas.

Thomas is a subtle contributor. His value won’t be found in the box score, but instead unsurfaced over the course of a full game as he finds a way to make timely contributions in every area.

In a recent post to his official Instagram account, Thomas acknowledged the one area that he must improve upon the most: his handles.

Few NBA players work harder than Thomas.

Thomas bounced around between the NBA, the D-League, and China during his first four professional seasons. He earned respect at every stop for his work ethic and versatility, but couldn’t quite find his niche.

After signing a series of 10-day contracts with the Knicks in 2014-15, he signed on for the remainder of the season and received an opportunity to prove himself in 2015-16.

During the 2015-16 regular season, Thomas justified New York’s faith with a career year.

Over the course of that 32-50 campaign, few Knicks players were more valuable than Thomas. He shot 40.4 percent from beyond the arc and provided invaluable versatility on defense.

For perspective, New York had a winning percentage of .424 when Thomas played and .304 when he didn’t. It had a net rating of -0.1 when he was on the court and -4.2 when he wasn’t.

The Knicks rewarded Thomas for his versatility and work ethic with a four-year deal worth just under $27.6 million.

He’s putting in the necessary work to reward their faith and investment.

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