Hollis Thompson

[NTAMM]

Hollis Thompson will have an NBA career, whether he comes out this year or next. He generally has been content to work within the framework of the offense. But, he has been more assertive this year. Yet, there are still times when you would want the player on the floor to dominant.

Hollis has progressed very year and has wisely used his GU experience to prepare to lace his shoes up in the NBA. As a freshman, he played out of position. At 6’6”, 190 lbs, 18 year old, he often played at power forward, playing ahead of 6’11”, 220 lbs Henry Sims. Inside the paint, he battled, NBA-caliber small/power forwards like Devin Eubanks and Kevin Jones. Players like Eubanks and Jones were athletic, strong, and physical mature players – the type of players he would be playing against in the NBA. Even though he was physically overmatched, he battled. He never played as though he was demoralized. Then just as calmly moved out to the perimeter and hit two or three pointers when the team needed offensive contributions. As a freshman, Hollis displayed flashes of brilliant. But, to me, what was most impressive was his mental toughness – to get minutes he accepted the challenge of playing power forward even though he has always maintained that his best position was guard.

At GU, Hollis has progressed in ways that may not be obvious. He has added weight and gotten much stronger with out losing his speed, quickness, or vertical. His defense is improved significantly – particularly his defense on the perimeter. His strength remains catch and shoot. However, he has been more willing to move without the ball, attack the basket, and has had greater success finishing at the rim. One of the areas he seemed to lack was the ability to put the ball on the floor and pull up for a mid-range jumper. But, he has been more consistent. His one move, against UConn (I believe) where he received the ball on the perimeter, drove to the baseline, pulled up and hit a mid-range, fade-away jumper was something I did not think he could do. But, it is precisely that type of shot that he will need to play in the NBA. He has demonstrated that he possesses the intelligence and toughness to play at the high levels. The point is Hollis has improved to where he will play in the NBA.

The comparisons between Hollis and Patrick Ewing, Jr. particularly as being second round picks are misplaced. Hollis is a much better shooter and scorer. Also, Hollis will be a 6’8” guard who can defend the perimeter. Hollis, at 6’8” with good athleticism, will create match up problems. Patrick Ewing, Jr. was a high energy player who could give you good minutes off the bench. He is a better run, jump athlete than Hollis. But, he is not as skilled as Hollis. Additionally, Patrick Ewing is a “tweener” at the forward positions. He does not have enough of a handle nor shot to play major minutes at small forward and he does not rebound well enough nor have the post game to play power forward. This was a glaring weakness in Ewing’s game his years at GU. Remember, it was during Ewing’s last year that JTIII started the experimenting with small ball – running three guard sets. JTII made a conscious decision to start 6’3-6’4” freshman Austin Freeman over 6’9” fifth-year senior Patrick Ewing Jr.

Actually, the player the Hollis most reminds me of is Reggie Miller. Miller was skinny 6’8” forward on mediocre UCLA teams. He did not have much of a handle going into the pros. His first few years in the NBA, he game off the bench. He would get abused by NBA forwards. But, he improved his handle and they move him permanently to the shooting guard position. Not saying that Hollis will have the career of a Reggie Miller. But, I would suspect that the trajectory of Hollis’ career would be similar.

[hoyarooter]

NTAMM, I usually think your posts are great, but I believe you are off base in the Hollis/Reggie comparison. Hollis is nowhere near the player in college that Reggie was at UCLA, and he has nowhere near the range that Reggie had even at UCLA. And Reggie is going to the hall of fame. If Hollis has half the pro career that Reggie had, that will be terrific.

[Dhall]

Good post and I agree Ewing has nothing to do with Hollis. I do believe it's fair to compare Hollis to Dajuan as a player, the difference being that Dajuan starred in some big games for us. Other than the Alabama shot, does anyone remember Hollis being the guy in a big winning game for us? Not meant to be a knock on him, just that Dajuan probably caught some more attention during the Big East and Final Four runs. Does Gordon Hayward get drafted in the first round if Butler doesn't go to the Final Four?

If the Hoyas do well in the postseason this year and Hollis even hits his averages in those game, he will get plenty of NBA looks. If the team flames out, no way. If the team does well but he doesn't play well, who knows.

[hoyaLS05]

Feb 23, 2012 13:31:51 GMT -5 NTAMM said:

Hollis Thompson will have an NBA career, whether he comes out this year or next. He generally has been content to work within the framework of the offense. But, he has been more assertive this year. Yet, there are still times when you would want the player on the floor to dominant.

Hollis has progressed very year and has wisely used his GU experience to prepare to lace his shoes up in the NBA. As a freshman, he played out of position. At 6’6”, 190 lbs, 18 year old, he often played at power forward, playing ahead of 6’11”, 220 lbs Henry Sims. Inside the paint, he battled, NBA-caliber small/power forwards like Devin Eubanks and Kevin Jones. Players like Eubanks and Jones were athletic, strong, and physical mature players – the type of players he would be playing against in the NBA. Even though he was physically overmatched, he battled. He never played as though he was demoralized. Then just as calmly moved out to the perimeter and hit two or three pointers when the team needed offensive contributions. As a freshman, Hollis displayed flashes of brilliant. But, to me, what was most impressive was his mental toughness – to get minutes he accepted the challenge of playing power forward even though he has always maintained that his best position was guard.

At GU, Hollis has progressed in ways that may not be obvious. He has added weight and gotten much stronger with out losing his speed, quickness, or vertical. His defense is improved significantly – particularly his defense on the perimeter. His strength remains catch and shoot. However, he has been more willing to move without the ball, attack the basket, and has had greater success finishing at the rim. One of the areas he seemed to lack was the ability to put the ball on the floor and pull up for a mid-range jumper. But, he has been more consistent. His one move, against UConn (I believe) where he received the ball on the perimeter, drove to the baseline, pulled up and hit a mid-range, fade-away jumper was something I did not think he could do. But, it is precisely that type of shot that he will need to play in the NBA. He has demonstrated that he possesses the intelligence and toughness to play at the high levels. The point is Hollis has improved to where he will play in the NBA.

The comparisons between Hollis and Patrick Ewing, Jr. particularly as being second round picks are misplaced. Hollis is a much better shooter and scorer. Also, Hollis will be a 6’8” guard who can defend the perimeter. Hollis, at 6’8” with good athleticism, will create match up problems. Patrick Ewing, Jr. was a high energy player who could give you good minutes off the bench. He is a better run, jump athlete than Hollis. But, he is not as skilled as Hollis. Additionally, Patrick Ewing is a “tweener” at the forward positions. He does not have enough of a handle nor shot to play major minutes at small forward and he does not rebound well enough nor have the post game to play power forward. This was a glaring weakness in Ewing’s game his years at GU. Remember, it was during Ewing’s last year that JTIII started the experimenting with small ball – running three guard sets. JTII made a conscious decision to start 6’3-6’4” freshman Austin Freeman over 6’9” fifth-year senior Patrick Ewing Jr.

Actually, the player the Hollis most reminds me of is Reggie Miller. Miller was skinny 6’8” forward on mediocre UCLA teams. He did not have much of a handle going into the pros. His first few years in the NBA, he game off the bench. He would get abused by NBA forwards. But, he improved his handle and they move him permanently to the shooting guard position. Not saying that Hollis will have the career of a Reggie Miller. But, I would suspect that the trajectory of Hollis’ career would be similar.

Devin Eubanks and the Tonight Show Band!

[NTAMM]

Feb 23, 2012 13:43:57 GMT -5 hoyarooter said:

NTAMM, I usually think your posts are great, but I believe you are off base in the Hollis/Reggie comparison. Hollis is nowhere near the player in college that Reggie was at UCLA, and he has nowhere near the range that Reggie had even at UCLA. And Reggie is going to the hall of fame. If Hollis has half the pro career that Reggie had, that will be terrific.

I can’t dispute your comments about the Hollis/Reggie comparison in terms of skills. Reggie Miller is the Hall of Fame caliber-player. During his UCLA days, it was not apparent how good he would become. He was the best player, a forward, on NIT-quality UCLA teams. Then as a pro he was initially slotted to play forward. During days at UCLA and even during his early days with Indiana, Reggie would often get taunted that he was the second best player in his family – behind his sister Cheryl. He did not have an immediate impact in the NBA for his first two or three years.
Living at the time in Southern California, I followed UCLA basketball. There was no way that I thought that Reggie Miller would be a better pro than GU’s Reggie Williams (nor for that matter Armand Gilliam nor Dennis Hopson who were drafted ahead of Miller). Miller’s NBA career took off when they settled on moving him from forward to guard. As we saw, a 6’8” guard with Miller’s length, shooting range, and marksmanship was a matchup nightmare for NBA teams.

Reggie worked on his handle and became a much better guard in the NBA than he had been a forward in college, at UCLA. That is the comparison I see between Hollis and Reggie Miller in the trajectory of their careers. Like Reggie Miller, I believe Hollis will be a better guard as a pro than he presently is as a forward in college. You are right, if Hollis has half the career that Reggie Miller had, Hollis will have a long, prosperous NBA career.

[hoyazeke]

NTAMM, you are wasting your time using logic. I gave a similiar comparison a few months back comparing Hollis to Rip Hamilton. I got ripped by the masses( no pun intended). They will only see the final product with the player. Im as big of a Piston fan as I am a Hoya fan. I have followed them closely since the late 80s. It is where I got the name Hoyazeke. I don't know what Hollis will be in the league but being 6'7" with a very pure J and a weak handle I see a very natural Rip/Reggie comparison. All Hollis has to do is learn to run off picks and shoot a little quicker.

[Filo]

Not to hijack the thread, Zeke, but you must be one happy dude having Greg in Motown and playing so well. (Sort of like I was as a Knick fan when big Pat was on the team. All of us NY/NJ types went nuts in New South when the Knicks got the number one pick to get Pat. Let's all hope the Pistons do a better job than the Knicks did and surround Greg with some quality players over the years.)

[blueandgray]

Being that I live in Los Angeles and watched Reggie live at UCLA night in and night out....you simply can't compare Miller to Hollis. If Miller played today, he'd have gone pro after two years. Hollis didn't even start as a sophmore.

At the time reggie played, there was a big debate as to who was better....our reggie or theirs. No way Hollis compares to either reggie.

That said, I think and hope Hollis will have a better pro career than Dajuan. While I think Holllis would get a lot out of another year at G'town, he's all but gone.

[Ranch Dressing]

Sad. For him. If true.

[hoyas big supporter]

You guys are some serious haters, hoyatalk still amazes me.

[strummer85]

Feb 24, 2012 9:05:07 GMT -5 Ranch Dressing said:

Sad. For him. If true.

If the kid gets his diploma, I don't see how we can have a bad word to say about his decision to leave (should he make that decision).

I hate it when players transfer. And I don't like it when players jump early. But anyone in the latter category who either graduates early or comes back in the summers to work on his degree has a great head on his shoulders.

[gtowndynasty]

Feb 24, 2012 12:00:43 GMT -5 hoyas big supporter said:

You guys are some serious haters, hoyatalk still amazes me.

It doesnt amaze me. It is just confirmation that some of us are miserable people. To criticize a guy who leaves early to make money, playing the sport he loves, after he earns a degree, who hasnt had the tiniest infraction while on the Hilltop, and represented the University with distinction..

no Ranch-you are sad and not that bright apparently.

[prospect]

Draftexpress recently did an in-depth analysis of Hollis (post below). They currently have him projected as the 11th pick of the 2nd round.

www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-2192012--3855/

[hoyazeke]

Feb 23, 2012 21:12:40 GMT -5 Filo said:

Not to hijack the thread, Zeke, but you must be one happy dude having Greg in Motown and playing so well. (Sort of like I was as a Knick fan when big Pat was on the team. All of us NY/NJ types went nuts in New South when the Knicks got the number one pick to get Pat. Let's all hope the Pistons do a better job than the Knicks did and surround Greg with some quality players over the years.)

Yeah man, I was excited. I was also happy to have DaJuan. I argue for weeks before the draft that Greg would be the better player than Cousins. I even argured that he would be the best of his draft class. Maybe thay will draft Hollis..............GTown North...........

[SFHoya99]

Feb 24, 2012 15:12:38 GMT -5 prospect said:

Draftexpress recently did an in-depth analysis of Hollis (post below). They currently have him projected as the 11th pick of the 2nd round.

www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-2192012--3855/

Seems about right.

I do think there's an argument to be made that it is in Hollis' best interests to stay. He's #11 in the second round now, which means no guaranteed three year contract.

For a borderline NBA player, which Hollis is right now, that first round contract is ENORMOUSLY important.

There's a huge difference between knowing you are very likely to get three full years of pay, but also three full years to show what you can do, to improve on the NBAs dime, facilities, coaching staffs, etc.

Not catching on immediately puts you at a massive disadvantage. You are out of sight, out of mind. You don't have the income or support to improve as easily.

A second round pick can catch on, but many a second round pick (that could have succeeded) falls victim to the roster numbers game, especially when the team's first round pick has guaranteed money.

So yes... Hollis can be a good NBA pro, and he is going to graduate, but one more year in college would give him the chance to work his way into the first round (if draft express is right and he doesn't rise).

I am much more optimistic than many of you of Hollis' chances, but going in the second round is a risky proposition if you think you have a good chance of climbing into the first.

With Henry and Jason leaving, Hollis has an opportunity to be the scorer next year.

It's worth a thought.

[alleninxis]

Can not blame a guy for getting his degree and deciding to move on to a new chapter in his life.

Selfishly, I do hope that being the starting SG and 1st option on a preseason Top 5 team (at least in my mind) will become appealing to him.

[Ranch Dressing]

Want him back. He should come back. NBADL is an oxymoron; ain't no development compared to another year winning major games as a Hoya.

You guys are all y'all misunderstanding me. My comments are in Hollis' best interest.

[NTAMM]

Feb 23, 2012 23:41:05 GMT -5 blueandgray said:

Being that I live in Los Angeles and watched Reggie live at UCLA night in and night out....you simply can't compare Miller to Hollis. If Miller played today, he'd have gone pro after two years. Hollis didn't even start as a sophmore.

At the time reggie played, there was a big debate as to who was better....our reggie or theirs. No way Hollis compares to either reggie.

That said, I think and hope Hollis will have a better pro career than Dajuan. While I think Holllis would get a lot out of another year at G'town, he's all but gone.

I have never said that Hollis that was as good a college player as was Reggie Miller. Nor have I stated that Hollis will be a Hall-of-Fame player as was Reggie Miller. What I did say was that I believe the evolution of Hollis’ career is/will be similar to that of Reggie’s career. The comments were mostly in response to the comparisons of Hollis with Patrick Ewing, Jr. The comment was that Hollis’ reminded me more of Reggie Miller – in career evolution – than Patrick Ewing Jr. As Hoyazeke noted, in making the comparison, one could just have easily substituted Rip Hamilton for Reggie Miller to make a similar comparison about the evolution of Hollis’ basketball career. But, here are the reasons for the comparisons between Hollis and Reggie Miller (or if you choose to, you could use Rip Hamilton):

1. Both Hollis and Reggie were/are thin, long, roughly 6’8” forwards in college.
2. In college the strength of both Hollis’ and Reggie’s games was/is catch and shoot. Of course, they had/have more game than catch and shoot; but that was/is what they were most noted for.
3. In college neither Reggie nor Hollis were/are noted for having strong handles. Again, they were/are primarily forwards in college not guards because of their relatively weak handles. In college, Reggie was not a tall guard like a Magic Johnson or a Bill Hanzlik (who both had forward size). Similarly, Hollis presently is not considered a tall guard, even though he occasionally swings to the guard position.
4. In the NBA, Reggie played most of his career at the guard position. At Indiana he was initially drafted as a forward, then was moved to the guard position were he excelled. As a long, 6’8” shooting guard with great range, quick release on his shot, and undervalued athleticism, Reggie was a matchup nightmare – at the guard position. Hollis’ ticket to the NBA will be as a long, 6’8” shooting guard.
5. Like Reggie, Hollis will move from playing forward, in college, to guard in the NBA. He will be a long 6’8” guard with good athleticism and good range and great form on his shot (when he squares up). Hollis could be a mismatch for smaller guards. To me, it was not surprising that Hollis was impressive at the NBA camp this past summer. Even as a freshman he displayed good range and mental toughness, and good athleticism. Since his freshman year, he has added muscle with out it affecting neither his shot nor his athleticism. He is still improving. He is presently a 47% three point shooter. That is impressive.

The comparisons between Reggie Miller and Hollis Thompson are not absolute. Reggie Miller was not known for having a great handle; but, even in college, it was much better than he received credit for. He continued to improve his handle in the NBA. Hollis is actually stronger than Reggie was in college and a better perimeter and all-around defender was Reggie. The structure and quality of their teams Hollis and Reggie played/play on are/were very different. Reggie put up impressive numbers at UCLA – on NIT-caliber teams – where he was usually the focus of the offense. In the Hoya’s system, having gaudy numbers is not a hallmark of individual play. Under JTIII, Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, DaJuan Summers, and Patrick Ewing, Jr. never had gaudy numbers and made it to the NBA. Jeff Green averaged some like 13 point a game and was deservedly Big East Player of the Year. Roy Hibbert evolved from being an awkward big man, who lacked stamina, and who could barely run the floor to an NBA-caliber All-Star center.

No, Hollis is not a better player than was Reggie Miller (or Reggie Williams) in college. Will Hollis be a better player than Reggie Miller in the pros? I doubt it. But, you never know. I doubt if people would have predicted, based on their college careers, that Steve Nash, Karl Malone, or John Stockton would be Hall-of-Fame caliber players. In contrast, Greg Oden was supposed to be the next, great Hall-of-Fame center.

The debates, in 1987, as to which Reggie (Reggie Williams or Reggie Miller) was the better player were limited to the Los Angeles Times and the UCLA campus. There was no big debate outside of those areas. In college, Reggie Williams was a better rebounder, a better defender, and a better team leader, and had similar range and marksmanship. Reggie Williams was considered to be the better all-around player. That was reflected in their draft positions. Williams was a high lottery pick. Miller was drafted in the middle of the first round.

In his first few years in the NBA, Reggie Miller played as expected for a mid-round first pick. As thin, small forward he had problems with the bigger, stronger, more physical small forwards like Xavier McDaniel – who was then the prototype NBA small forward. That changed when Miller was moved to guard and played with a point guard, like Mark Jackson, who knew how to run an offense and exploit Miller’s strengths. Actually, the best Reggie in the 1987 draft, when he played in the NBA turned out to be Reggie Lewis – who was a late first round draft pick. I doubt if anyone saw that coming. So, you never know what might happen with Hollis.

Please forgive me if I seem long-winded.

[kchoya]

Feb 25, 2012 15:50:20 GMT -5 NTAMM said:

Feb 23, 2012 23:41:05 GMT -5 blueandgray said:

Being that I live in Los Angeles and watched Reggie live at UCLA night in and night out....you simply can't compare Miller to Hollis. If Miller played today, he'd have gone pro after two years. Hollis didn't even start as a sophmore.

At the time reggie played, there was a big debate as to who was better....our reggie or theirs. No way Hollis compares to either reggie.

That said, I think and hope Hollis will have a better pro career than Dajuan. While I think Holllis would get a lot out of another year at G'town, he's all but gone.

I have never said that Hollis that was as good a college player as was Reggie Miller. Nor have I stated that Hollis will be a Hall-of-Fame player as was Reggie Miller. What I did say was that I believe the evolution of Hollis’ career is/will be similar to that of Reggie’s career. The comments were mostly in response to the comparisons of Hollis with Patrick Ewing, Jr. The comment was that Hollis’ reminded me more of Reggie Miller – in career evolution – than Patrick Ewing Jr. As Hoyazeke noted, in making the comparison, one could just have easily substituted Rip Hamilton for Reggie Miller to make a similar comparison about the evolution of Hollis’ basketball career. But, here are the reasons for the comparisons between Hollis and Reggie Miller (or if you choose to, you could use Rip Hamilton):

1. Both Hollis and Reggie were/are thin, long, roughly 6’8” forwards in college.
2. In college the strength of both HollisÂ’ and ReggieÂ’s games was/is catch and shoot. Of course, they had/have more game than catch and shoot; but that was/is what they were most noted for.
3. In college neither Reggie nor Hollis were/are noted for having strong handles. Again, they were/are primarily forwards in college not guards because of their relatively weak handles. In college, Reggie was not a tall guard like a Magic Johnson or a Bill Hanzlik (who both had forward size). Similarly, Hollis presently is not considered a tall guard, even though he occasionally swings to the guard position.
4. In the NBA, Reggie played most of his career at the guard position. At Indiana he was initially drafted as a forward, then was moved to the guard position were he excelled. As a long, 6’8” shooting guard with great range, quick release on his shot, and undervalued athleticism, Reggie was a matchup nightmare – at the guard position. Hollis’ ticket to the NBA will be as a long, 6’8” shooting guard.
5. Like Reggie, Hollis will move from playing forward, in college, to guard in the NBA. He will be a long 6’8” guard with good athleticism and good range and great form on his shot (when he squares up). Hollis could be a mismatch for smaller guards. To me, it was not surprising that Hollis was impressive at the NBA camp this past summer. Even as a freshman he displayed good range and mental toughness, and good athleticism. Since his freshman year, he has added muscle with out it affecting neither his shot nor his athleticism. He is still improving. He is presently a 47% three point shooter. That is impressive.

The comparisons between Reggie Miller and Hollis Thompson are not absolute. Reggie Miller was not known for having a great handle; but, even in college, it was much better than he received credit for. He continued to improve his handle in the NBA. Hollis is actually stronger than Reggie was in college and a better perimeter and all-around defender was Reggie. The structure and quality of their teams Hollis and Reggie played/play on are/were very different. Reggie put up impressive numbers at UCLA – on NIT-caliber teams – where he was usually the focus of the offense. In the Hoya’s system, having gaudy numbers is not a hallmark of individual play. Under JTIII, Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, DaJuan Summers, and Patrick Ewing, Jr. never had gaudy numbers and made it to the NBA. Jeff Green averaged some like 13 point a game and was deservedly Big East Player of the Year. Roy Hibbert evolved from being an awkward big man, who lacked stamina, and who could barely run the floor to an NBA-caliber All-Star center.

No, Hollis is not a better player than was Reggie Miller (or Reggie Williams) in college. Will Hollis be a better player than Reggie Miller in the pros? I doubt it. But, you never know. I doubt if people would have predicted, based on their college careers, that Steve Nash, Karl Malone, or John Stockton would be Hall-of-Fame caliber players. In contrast, Greg Oden was supposed to be the next, great Hall-of-Fame center.

The debates, in 1987, as to which Reggie (Reggie Williams or Reggie Miller) was the better player were limited to the Los Angeles Times and the UCLA campus. There was no big debate outside of those areas. In college, Reggie Williams was a better rebounder, a better defender, and a better team leader, and had similar range and marksmanship. Reggie Williams was considered to be the better all-around player. That was reflected in their draft positions. Williams was a high lottery pick. Miller was drafted in the middle of the first round.

In his first few years in the NBA, Reggie Miller played as expected for a mid-round first pick. As thin, small forward he had problems with the bigger, stronger, more physical small forwards like Xavier McDaniel – who was then the prototype NBA small forward. That changed when Miller was moved to guard and played with a point guard, like Mark Jackson, who knew how to run an offense and exploit Miller’s strengths. Actually, the best Reggie in the 1987 draft, when he played in the NBA turned out to be Reggie Lewis – who was a late first round draft pick. I doubt if anyone saw that coming. So, you never know what might happen with Hollis.

Please forgive me if I seem long-winded.

Uh, are you even watching the game?

[emkmd]

Hollis will have to get a lot stronger if he wants to have a chance to play in the NBA. He can shoot from long range which gives him a chance. However, he has shown a lack of ability to finish in the paint and around the rim. I know he has hit some circus shots, but he does not go up strong and cannot over power anyone. He falls away and does not do well with contact. He is working on the turn around, but I do not see him in the post in the NBA. He really needs to improve his dribble and be able to pull up for the midrange jumper. Rip has or had this ability. Hollis can rebound, but seems to get them with his length (Always an important attribute on draft day) rather than leaping ability. He will not have this advantage in the NBA. Dajuan actually impressed scouts with his strength and ability to guard. 6'8" guys are a dime a dozen so Hollis needs some improvement before he can expect a roster spot. He obviously needs to work on his FT shooting. He has no rythm and does tends to fall back. Bruce Bowen was a good corner 3 pt shooter, a great defender (mayber dirty) and a poor FT shooter. He had a very solid NBA career on a great team. Comparisons to Reggie Miller are a reach.