Thompson's start: Must see (but not on) TV
It was clear after shootaround this morning at the frigid Memorial Coliseum that rookie Ryan Thompson is giddy as can be about getting the starting nod in his first-ever NBA game.
(Side rant: It’s really too bad TV executives aren’t broadcasting this one. It’d be fun for Jazz fans to watch him play for the first time. With as many new guys as there are on the team, it’d be good for fans to be able to watch this one for other reasons, too. But, as they like to say in the biz, it isn’t what it isn’t – and that isn’t is televised. Or something like that.)
Back to Jerry Sloan’s decision to start Thompson. You don’t have to go back very far to find precedent for Sloan throwing a rookie to the wolves. Last year, he inserted Wesley Matthews into the starting five in Game 2.
That move was precipitated, of course, by C.J. Miles’ nasty thumb injury in London. But it’s kinda fitting seeing how Thompson, an undrafted shooting guard, has been compared at times to Matthews this fall.
I remember talking to my sports editor after Matthews’ debut and telling him: This kid can play. Not exactly a brilliant observation on my part. It was plain to see while Matthews put up a 16-point starting debut, which included the Marquette product hitting 3-of-4 3-pointers and showing grit and guts all over the court.
Starting in no way guarantees that Thompson will make this squad, though. Sloan just wants to explore using different combinations and wants to give the rookie from Rider a shot to play after he sat on the bench with Demetris Nichols for the entire preseason opener. It has to be a confidence boost, however, knowing your coach believes in you enough to put you in the starting five for even a preseason game.
Matthews ended up starting several times in the preseason, and he scored in double figures twice. Of course, he followed his brilliant opener with a two-point outing in 15 minutes when the Jazz played in Spain.
And for what it’s worth, Sloan also started both Ronnies (Price and Brewer) at the depleted shooting guard position last preseason. He likes to spread time out during exhibition play, so it’s too early to tell what kind of impact this will have on Thompson’s career.
“We’ll see,” Deron Williams said as he walked to the locker room. “We’ll see what he does tonight, that’s all that matters.”
Guess we’ll see what I’m telling my sports editor after Thompson’s debut. Too bad nobody outside of Bill Walton’s old stomping grounds will be able to see it play out, too.