Khyri Thomas
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Weaknesses & Concerns:
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Report By: Mark Wahlen
Profile:
Strengths:
Physical Tools & Athleticism
Khyri isn’t a crazy athlete with out-of-this-world physical tools (except his wingspan), but he has a strong foundation of both to work with. Standing at 6’3.75” in shoes, he’s small for a 2 guard, but he more than makes up for it with a 6’10.5” wingspan (8’5” standing reach). He also has a strong frame that weighs in at 199 pounds (6.4% body fat). His +5.25” wingspan is very unique for a player of his height (or any height, really), but the list of current NBA players that are similarly built includes: E’Twaun Moore (6’4” tall, 6’9.5” wingspan, 191 pounds), John Wall (6’4” tall, 6’9.25” wingspan, 196 pounds) and Norman Powell (6’4.25” tall, 6’10.75” wingspan, 215 pounds). Khyri didn’t test particularly well in his max-vertical jump test at this years combine, only posting a max vertical of 35”, but it’s not a terrible mark for an NBA guard. Several other current NBA guards have posted a similar max vertical leap, such as: Marcus Smart (36”), Devin Booker (34.5”), Dennis Schroder (34”), Will Barton (34”), Cory Joseph (35”), E’Twaun Moore (34.5”) and Jrue Holiday (34”). Khyri also posted a 30” standing vertical, which is about average for an NBA guard. At the combine, he also posted the 25th fastest ¾ court sprint time (3.18 seconds), 34th fastest shuttle run time (3.18 seconds) and 14th fastest lane agility time (10.96 seconds) out of the 56 players who participated. Looking back at previous draft combines for comparison, Khyri’s numbers are most comparable to TJ McConnell (3.30 seconds in ¾ court sprint, 3.09 seconds in the shuttle run and 10.95 seconds in lane agility), Kelly Oubre (3.32 seconds in ¾ court sprint, 3.12 seconds in the shuttle run and 11.09 seconds in the lane agility) and Norman Powell (3.20 seconds in ¾ court sprint, 3.20 seconds in the shuttle run and 10.69 seconds in the lane agility). And while those players aren’t considered to be the most elite athletes in the NBA, they’re all rotational players with above average athletic abilities. In Khyri’s case, his athletic ability stands out on the defensive end of the floor, with strong and quick footwork that allows him to guard either guard positions in space. And despite his average max vertical, he’s more than capable of playing above the rim in space on offense. This is where his elite wingspan really helps, as it makes up for where his vertical explosiveness lacks.
Defense
Other than his shooting (more on that in a minute), Khyri’s clear NBA skill is his defense. As mentioned previously, he possesses great footwork on defense that allows him to check either of the guard positions and stay in front of defenders in space. And although this aspect of his game is overrated by some, he is more than capable of doing it at a high level (just not an elite level like many will say). This shows up a bit in his defensive numbers when guarding players in isolation, where he allowed an average 0.789 PPP this past season (49th percentile). His immense wingspan and quick hands also allow him to be a terror of a defender both on and off the ball or when trailing a play. His 1.7 steals per game this past season (1.4 for his career average) and 2.9% steal percentage are testaments to that. In fact, his 1.7 steals per game is tied for 50th (out of 539) amongst all players in the NCAA this past season that played at least 1,000 minutes, with his steal percentage being tied for the 56th best mark in that same group. His length and quick hands make him a constant steal threat against ball handlers, especially from behind, when making passes over the top or catching passes. His basketball IQ also plays a large role in his ability to steal the ball, as he’s very good at anticipating passes and filling passing lanes. He’s also a decent enough trail defender when he’s beaten off the dribble as his length allows him to bother the ball handler and contest shots even when behind by a step. This shows in his defensive numbers when guarding pick and roll ball handlers, where he only allowed 0.734 PPP (56th percentile) this past season, and when guarding off screens (0.884 PPP, 50th percentile) or hand offs (0.654 PPP, 69th percentile). Those numbers also point to his physicality and mental toughness as a defender: he isn’t afraid to fight through screens or take on the tough assignment of guarding the opposing teams best offensive threat. And despite his toughness on defense, Khyri doesn’t foul much, only averaging 1.9 personal fouls this past season (1.6 for his career average). He can get a bit soft in the paint against bigger opponents at times (allowed 1.111 PPP on post-ups, 25th percentile, and 1.061 PPP on shots around the basket that weren’t post-ups, 37th percentile), but overall he’s a tough defender that plays with great focus and energy. Teams will want to get a closer look at his perimeter defensive capabilities in workouts before the draft starts to see if it will stand up to NBA caliber athletes, but his defense still stands as a strong point in his profile. There’s a reason why he was named the Big East defensive player of the year two years in a row.
Shooting
As alluded to earlier, Khyri is a high-level shooter and one of the best shooters in this entire draft class. This past season, he scored 1.165 PPP on all spot-up attempts (89th percentile), 1.085 PPP on all jump shots in the half-court (80th percentile), 1.253 PPP on all catch & shoot shots in the half-court (86th percentile) and 1.167 PPP on all 3-point shots (78th percentile, while shooting 4.6 3-point attempts per game on 41% 3P% shooting). His shooting mechanics are close to being flawless, with a buttery smooth release, simple mechanics, great balance and consistent footwork. His release is a hair slow, but not to the point of being worrisome. He’s one of the few players this past season that felt like every one of his open shots were suppose to go in and it was a surprise when they didn’t drop. His 3-ppint shooting in particular has been impressive throughout his collegiate career, shooting a net burning 41% on 3’s this past season on 4.6 attempts per game with a career 41% 3P% on 3.2 3PA’s (lowest 3P% of his 3 year collegiate career being 39% on 3.3 attempts per game). And while he struggled to shoot as well off the dribble (0.682 PPP, 32nd percentile), his shooting is still a clear strength of his game. His 79% FT% this past season (career 72% FT%) is another strong indicator of his high-level shooting mechanics. And while he’ll have more difficulty getting his shot off in the NBA against bigger, longer and more athletic defenders, he projects very well as an off ball spot-up sniper combo guard.
Finishing at the Rim
Khyri is also an excellent finisher around the rim. This past season, he scored 1.25 PPP (73rd percentile) on shots around the basket in the half-court. His length and decent athleticism allows him to play above the rim in space, but it also allows him to get off clean shots on drives when defenders are trailing behind. Most defenders lack the length, quickness or explosiveness to makeup the difference once Khyri gets a step on them. This also helps him with finishing at the rim against bigs as he can extend over the top of, or around the outstretched arms of many bigs with his length. This won’t be the case as much in the NBA where even perimeter defenders have much better length and athleticism, but it’s a good foundation to start with.
3 Level Scorer Upside
Along with his elite shooting and above average ability to finish at the rim, Khyri has shown some promise in the mid-range with floaters/runners and mid-range jump shots. If he’s able to master his mid-range scoring, there’s some potential for him to become a 3 level scorer. He only took 10 floaters/runners this past season, but he scored 0.8 PPP on those shots (60th percentile). He also scored 0.875 PPP on medium ranged (17’ to <3 point line) jump shots in the half-court (76th percentile) and 0.897 PPP on short ranged (<17’) jump shots in the half-court (70th percentile). This is a part of his game that he’ll need to continue to develop, especially in his ability to get to the paint off the dribble and shoot off the dribble (more on this later), but there’s some promising signs there.
Scoring Efficiency & Basketball IQ
Khyri is one of the most efficient scorers in this draft class, shooting (as mentioned) a blistering 41% from 3 on 4.6 attempts per game, 79% FT% on 2.6 FTA’s per game and a well above average 64% from 2 on 5.8 2PA’s this past season. That adds up to be a 54% overall FG% with a TS% of 65%. And this isn’t a new development either: he’s a career 41% 3-point shooter, 58% from 2, 72% from the free-throw line and has a career TS% of 61%. That’s elite territory for a collegiate guard for one season, let alone a collegiate career. It’s hard to exactly quantify the importance of these numbers, but one of the things it shows is that Khyri rarely (if ever) forces things on offense and knows how to pick his spots when looking to score. It also speaks to his feel for the game and overall basketball IQ, as he’s been able to consistently put himself into positions to score effectively. This bodes well for his projection as an off-ball combo guard that’s likely never going to be a top 3 scoring option for an NBA team, but will be asked to defend and score efficiently when given the shots.
Playmaking & Passing Upside
He’s not the greatest ball handler (more on this later), but Khyri is capable of making simple plays when he puts the ball on the floor. Mostly a straight line driver, his strong frame allows him to bully his way to the basket or carve out space by getting into the body of defenders before stepping back or slowing down for shots. If he can develop more shiftiness in his ball handling, that’d go a long ways in his ability to make plays off the dribble. Some of this playmaking upside is seen in his isolation scoring numbers this past season, where he scored 0.944 PPP (76th percentile). He also possesses underrated vision and the ability to make passes. He averaged 2.8 assists per game this past season and is a career 2.5 assist’s per game player, with his peak season being a year ago when he averaged 3.3 assists per game. Despite his short height, he’s shown a nice ability to see through defenses and make passes to the open man off the dribble. And while he’s likely never going to be a 5+ assists per game player in the NBA, especially since he projects more as an off ball guard, he may have some untapped potential there in regards to playmaking for others off the dribble if put into the right situation.
Intangibles
Khyri is a tough nosed player that plays with consistent focus and energy. He’s not afraid of guarding the opposing teams best players or of taking important end game shots. He’s also a hard worker that’s shown an ability to maintain his efficiency and effectiveness year to year despite increased responsibilities and usage. He rarely if ever complains to the refs, and likewise, rarely if ever gets frustrated with coaches or his teammates. Additionally, he’s never shown “my turn” moments despite being one of the more skilled players on his team the last few seasons. Khyri stays within himself and within the team system. All these factors add up to a strong intangibles profile.
Weaknesses & Concerns:
Age
Not a huge problem, but Khyri is already 22 years old. This will limit his upside in the eyes of many teams, but he already has a mature game and personality that seem to indicate that he’ll be more able to contribute on day 1 than many of the higher upside, but much younger and less mature prospects in this draft class. But it’s something for teams to weigh in their projections and analysis of Khyri, especially since he’s likely near maxed out on his athletic abilities and is never going to grow taller.
Shooting Off The Dribble & On the Move
Despite being one of the best shooters in this draft class, Khyri struggled to shoot the ball well consistently off the dribble this past season. On all jump shots off the dribble this past season, he only scored 0.682 PPP (32nd percentile, 44 FGA’s). A lot of this is due to his inability to create adequate space to get his jumper off cleanly (more on this later), but some of it is because he gets much more unbalanced on his shots off the dribble. He’s often forced to fade away backwards or to one side or the other when shooting off the dribble in an attempt to create more space between himself and his defender, causing loss of balance and subsequently, more misses. The same is true when he’s coming off screens as a jump shooter. This past season, he only scored 0.87 PPP on scoring attempts coming off screens (47th percentile). His inability to score effectively off screens will be an issue at the next level if he’s to be an off ball combo guard, but the foundational pieces are there for him to develop that part of his game with some hard work.
Advanced Ball Handling & Shot Creation?
As was just alluded to, Khyri doesn’t possess advanced ball handling skills. He’s almost entirely limited to straight line drives, and really lacks the shiftiness, on ball quickness or wiggle to get around defenders or to create space off the dribble. In particular, he seems to really lack the ability to drive hard to the basket with intentionality. He too often tries to bump his defender before slowing down to create space for his shot, or simply tries to out reach his defender without working to turn the corner on them. This really limits his ability to get to draw contact (more on this later) and makes it a lot harder for him to get to the rim off the dribble. When putting the ball on the floor, he often has to rely on screens or aggressive attacks on close-out defenders to gain a step advantage. Although, once he does gain an advantage, he’s pretty great at finishing the play, as is proved by his 1.214 PPP on hand off scoring attempts this past season (91st percentile). However, his lack of advanced handles, or any real effective go-to move (even something as simple as a quick crossover) will greatly limit his offensive capabilities and value at the next level if not drastically improved. This shows in his ability to score with a short shot clock (<4 seconds) where he’s forced to create 1 on 1. This past season, he only scored 0.25 PPP on jump shots in short shot clock situations (8th percentile, 16 FGA’s).
Pick & Roll Offense
Largely related to his inability to create off the dribble, Khyri has really struggled to effectively score out of the pick & roll as the ball handler. This past season, he only scored 0.603 PPP as the P&R ball handler (23rd percentile, 40 FGA’s). This is particularly concerning given his projected position of a combo guard. Even as an off ball guard, he’ll be expected to run the pick & roll to at least an average level. He just doesn’t possess the ball handling skills or quickness with the ball in his hands to get around defenders, even bigs that hedge hard, nor does he shoot the ball well enough off the dribble to make defenders pay for going under the screen. And while he has some underrated vision and passing, he struggles to make the correct reads out of the pick and roll at times, especially when trying to hit the roll man. This is an area of his game that he’ll need to work hard at improving or else he’ll have a hard time seeing the floor in the NBA. He could always be used as a Marcus Smart or JJ Reddick type off ball guard, but they’re both elite at something else that allows them to be on the floor, and it’s unclear what Khyri would do at an elite level to allow that to happen. Defense? Shooting? Probably not to the level of Smart or Reddick, so he’ll need improve his overall floor game a bit.
Low Free-throw Rate
Lastly, Khyri struggles to get to the free-throw line. For his career, he’s only averaged 2.1 FTA’s per game, with his career high being this past year at 2.6 FTA’s per game. For comparisons sake, that mark ties him for 393rd (out of 539 total) in the NCAA in free-throw attempts per game amongst players that have played 1,000 or more minutes. This coincides with his free-throw rate of 0.249 (career 0.250), which is well below average for a guard. This speaks to his overreliance on his spot-up shooting and his inability to create off the dribble and get to the rim.
NBA Fit: Coming soon!
Draft Range:
Khyri has a lot to like about his game, especially his high level shooting and defense. However, as a projected off ball combo guard, his value to an NBA team is much more limited than some of the other guards in this draft as he’s not a high level pick and roll player and struggles to create his own shot. However, with shooting and perimeter defense being at such high premiums in the league, and with Khyri having such a strong intangibles profile, it will be hard for teams to pass him up in the late first round or early 2nd.
Projected Draft Range: 20 to 35
Notes:
The Transition Scoring Argument
There’s a popular argument out there that Khyri Thomas scored the majority of his points in transition, which has over inflated his numbers and his ability to score in the half-court. This is a false argument. Yes, Khyri has scored a decent amount of his points in transition, but it’s FAR from being the majority of his points. Here’s the full break down of his scoring attempts this past season: Transition (29.6%, 186 points), Spot-up shots in the half-court (24%, 120 points), P&R ball handler (13.5%, 35 points), hand offs in the half-court (6.5%, 34 points), off screens in the half-court (5.4%, 20 points), post-ups in the half-court (4.9%, 25 points), isolation in the half-court (4.2%, 17 points), offensive rebounds (3.3%, 21 points), cuts (3%, 15 points), P&R roll man (1.2%, 2 points) and miscellaneous (4.4%, 15 points). As you can see, the overwhelming majority of Khryi’s scoring attempts came outside of transition (again, only 29.6% of his scoring occurred in transition). Additionally, his overall offense in the half court when including assists generated 1.289 PPP (91st percentile) and was more than double the number of possessions he had in transition (302 compared to 126). It should also be noted that a large portion of his scoring attempts in transition occurred after he stole the ball from a defender, and ran the floor for the scoring attempt as the ball handler. This is found when you dig into his scoring attempts in transition, where 30.7% of the possessions he acted as the ball handler, and scored 1.462 PPP (99th percentile) on those attempts. Simply put, it’s a false narrative to say that Khyri scored the majority of his points in transition. He didn’t. And the times that he did? It was often due to his defensive prowess, which is expected to translate well to the NBA.
- 22 year old combo guard from Creighton University
- 2x Big East Defensive Player of the Year
- Played high school basketball at Fort Union Military Academy & Benson High School
- Son of Eddie & Lakisha Hazley and has two sisters (Kiki & Raevyn)
- Majoring in marketing
- Nickname is "Tazz"
- The Spurs are his favorite NBA team, Kawhi being his favorite player
- If he could meet anyone, it'd be Dr. Umar Johnson
- His favorite historical figure is Frederick Douglass
- Ranking out of high school: 326th (4 star recruit)
Strengths:
Physical Tools & Athleticism
Khyri isn’t a crazy athlete with out-of-this-world physical tools (except his wingspan), but he has a strong foundation of both to work with. Standing at 6’3.75” in shoes, he’s small for a 2 guard, but he more than makes up for it with a 6’10.5” wingspan (8’5” standing reach). He also has a strong frame that weighs in at 199 pounds (6.4% body fat). His +5.25” wingspan is very unique for a player of his height (or any height, really), but the list of current NBA players that are similarly built includes: E’Twaun Moore (6’4” tall, 6’9.5” wingspan, 191 pounds), John Wall (6’4” tall, 6’9.25” wingspan, 196 pounds) and Norman Powell (6’4.25” tall, 6’10.75” wingspan, 215 pounds). Khyri didn’t test particularly well in his max-vertical jump test at this years combine, only posting a max vertical of 35”, but it’s not a terrible mark for an NBA guard. Several other current NBA guards have posted a similar max vertical leap, such as: Marcus Smart (36”), Devin Booker (34.5”), Dennis Schroder (34”), Will Barton (34”), Cory Joseph (35”), E’Twaun Moore (34.5”) and Jrue Holiday (34”). Khyri also posted a 30” standing vertical, which is about average for an NBA guard. At the combine, he also posted the 25th fastest ¾ court sprint time (3.18 seconds), 34th fastest shuttle run time (3.18 seconds) and 14th fastest lane agility time (10.96 seconds) out of the 56 players who participated. Looking back at previous draft combines for comparison, Khyri’s numbers are most comparable to TJ McConnell (3.30 seconds in ¾ court sprint, 3.09 seconds in the shuttle run and 10.95 seconds in lane agility), Kelly Oubre (3.32 seconds in ¾ court sprint, 3.12 seconds in the shuttle run and 11.09 seconds in the lane agility) and Norman Powell (3.20 seconds in ¾ court sprint, 3.20 seconds in the shuttle run and 10.69 seconds in the lane agility). And while those players aren’t considered to be the most elite athletes in the NBA, they’re all rotational players with above average athletic abilities. In Khyri’s case, his athletic ability stands out on the defensive end of the floor, with strong and quick footwork that allows him to guard either guard positions in space. And despite his average max vertical, he’s more than capable of playing above the rim in space on offense. This is where his elite wingspan really helps, as it makes up for where his vertical explosiveness lacks.
Defense
Other than his shooting (more on that in a minute), Khyri’s clear NBA skill is his defense. As mentioned previously, he possesses great footwork on defense that allows him to check either of the guard positions and stay in front of defenders in space. And although this aspect of his game is overrated by some, he is more than capable of doing it at a high level (just not an elite level like many will say). This shows up a bit in his defensive numbers when guarding players in isolation, where he allowed an average 0.789 PPP this past season (49th percentile). His immense wingspan and quick hands also allow him to be a terror of a defender both on and off the ball or when trailing a play. His 1.7 steals per game this past season (1.4 for his career average) and 2.9% steal percentage are testaments to that. In fact, his 1.7 steals per game is tied for 50th (out of 539) amongst all players in the NCAA this past season that played at least 1,000 minutes, with his steal percentage being tied for the 56th best mark in that same group. His length and quick hands make him a constant steal threat against ball handlers, especially from behind, when making passes over the top or catching passes. His basketball IQ also plays a large role in his ability to steal the ball, as he’s very good at anticipating passes and filling passing lanes. He’s also a decent enough trail defender when he’s beaten off the dribble as his length allows him to bother the ball handler and contest shots even when behind by a step. This shows in his defensive numbers when guarding pick and roll ball handlers, where he only allowed 0.734 PPP (56th percentile) this past season, and when guarding off screens (0.884 PPP, 50th percentile) or hand offs (0.654 PPP, 69th percentile). Those numbers also point to his physicality and mental toughness as a defender: he isn’t afraid to fight through screens or take on the tough assignment of guarding the opposing teams best offensive threat. And despite his toughness on defense, Khyri doesn’t foul much, only averaging 1.9 personal fouls this past season (1.6 for his career average). He can get a bit soft in the paint against bigger opponents at times (allowed 1.111 PPP on post-ups, 25th percentile, and 1.061 PPP on shots around the basket that weren’t post-ups, 37th percentile), but overall he’s a tough defender that plays with great focus and energy. Teams will want to get a closer look at his perimeter defensive capabilities in workouts before the draft starts to see if it will stand up to NBA caliber athletes, but his defense still stands as a strong point in his profile. There’s a reason why he was named the Big East defensive player of the year two years in a row.
Shooting
As alluded to earlier, Khyri is a high-level shooter and one of the best shooters in this entire draft class. This past season, he scored 1.165 PPP on all spot-up attempts (89th percentile), 1.085 PPP on all jump shots in the half-court (80th percentile), 1.253 PPP on all catch & shoot shots in the half-court (86th percentile) and 1.167 PPP on all 3-point shots (78th percentile, while shooting 4.6 3-point attempts per game on 41% 3P% shooting). His shooting mechanics are close to being flawless, with a buttery smooth release, simple mechanics, great balance and consistent footwork. His release is a hair slow, but not to the point of being worrisome. He’s one of the few players this past season that felt like every one of his open shots were suppose to go in and it was a surprise when they didn’t drop. His 3-ppint shooting in particular has been impressive throughout his collegiate career, shooting a net burning 41% on 3’s this past season on 4.6 attempts per game with a career 41% 3P% on 3.2 3PA’s (lowest 3P% of his 3 year collegiate career being 39% on 3.3 attempts per game). And while he struggled to shoot as well off the dribble (0.682 PPP, 32nd percentile), his shooting is still a clear strength of his game. His 79% FT% this past season (career 72% FT%) is another strong indicator of his high-level shooting mechanics. And while he’ll have more difficulty getting his shot off in the NBA against bigger, longer and more athletic defenders, he projects very well as an off ball spot-up sniper combo guard.
Finishing at the Rim
Khyri is also an excellent finisher around the rim. This past season, he scored 1.25 PPP (73rd percentile) on shots around the basket in the half-court. His length and decent athleticism allows him to play above the rim in space, but it also allows him to get off clean shots on drives when defenders are trailing behind. Most defenders lack the length, quickness or explosiveness to makeup the difference once Khyri gets a step on them. This also helps him with finishing at the rim against bigs as he can extend over the top of, or around the outstretched arms of many bigs with his length. This won’t be the case as much in the NBA where even perimeter defenders have much better length and athleticism, but it’s a good foundation to start with.
3 Level Scorer Upside
Along with his elite shooting and above average ability to finish at the rim, Khyri has shown some promise in the mid-range with floaters/runners and mid-range jump shots. If he’s able to master his mid-range scoring, there’s some potential for him to become a 3 level scorer. He only took 10 floaters/runners this past season, but he scored 0.8 PPP on those shots (60th percentile). He also scored 0.875 PPP on medium ranged (17’ to <3 point line) jump shots in the half-court (76th percentile) and 0.897 PPP on short ranged (<17’) jump shots in the half-court (70th percentile). This is a part of his game that he’ll need to continue to develop, especially in his ability to get to the paint off the dribble and shoot off the dribble (more on this later), but there’s some promising signs there.
Scoring Efficiency & Basketball IQ
Khyri is one of the most efficient scorers in this draft class, shooting (as mentioned) a blistering 41% from 3 on 4.6 attempts per game, 79% FT% on 2.6 FTA’s per game and a well above average 64% from 2 on 5.8 2PA’s this past season. That adds up to be a 54% overall FG% with a TS% of 65%. And this isn’t a new development either: he’s a career 41% 3-point shooter, 58% from 2, 72% from the free-throw line and has a career TS% of 61%. That’s elite territory for a collegiate guard for one season, let alone a collegiate career. It’s hard to exactly quantify the importance of these numbers, but one of the things it shows is that Khyri rarely (if ever) forces things on offense and knows how to pick his spots when looking to score. It also speaks to his feel for the game and overall basketball IQ, as he’s been able to consistently put himself into positions to score effectively. This bodes well for his projection as an off-ball combo guard that’s likely never going to be a top 3 scoring option for an NBA team, but will be asked to defend and score efficiently when given the shots.
Playmaking & Passing Upside
He’s not the greatest ball handler (more on this later), but Khyri is capable of making simple plays when he puts the ball on the floor. Mostly a straight line driver, his strong frame allows him to bully his way to the basket or carve out space by getting into the body of defenders before stepping back or slowing down for shots. If he can develop more shiftiness in his ball handling, that’d go a long ways in his ability to make plays off the dribble. Some of this playmaking upside is seen in his isolation scoring numbers this past season, where he scored 0.944 PPP (76th percentile). He also possesses underrated vision and the ability to make passes. He averaged 2.8 assists per game this past season and is a career 2.5 assist’s per game player, with his peak season being a year ago when he averaged 3.3 assists per game. Despite his short height, he’s shown a nice ability to see through defenses and make passes to the open man off the dribble. And while he’s likely never going to be a 5+ assists per game player in the NBA, especially since he projects more as an off ball guard, he may have some untapped potential there in regards to playmaking for others off the dribble if put into the right situation.
Intangibles
Khyri is a tough nosed player that plays with consistent focus and energy. He’s not afraid of guarding the opposing teams best players or of taking important end game shots. He’s also a hard worker that’s shown an ability to maintain his efficiency and effectiveness year to year despite increased responsibilities and usage. He rarely if ever complains to the refs, and likewise, rarely if ever gets frustrated with coaches or his teammates. Additionally, he’s never shown “my turn” moments despite being one of the more skilled players on his team the last few seasons. Khyri stays within himself and within the team system. All these factors add up to a strong intangibles profile.
Weaknesses & Concerns:
Age
Not a huge problem, but Khyri is already 22 years old. This will limit his upside in the eyes of many teams, but he already has a mature game and personality that seem to indicate that he’ll be more able to contribute on day 1 than many of the higher upside, but much younger and less mature prospects in this draft class. But it’s something for teams to weigh in their projections and analysis of Khyri, especially since he’s likely near maxed out on his athletic abilities and is never going to grow taller.
Shooting Off The Dribble & On the Move
Despite being one of the best shooters in this draft class, Khyri struggled to shoot the ball well consistently off the dribble this past season. On all jump shots off the dribble this past season, he only scored 0.682 PPP (32nd percentile, 44 FGA’s). A lot of this is due to his inability to create adequate space to get his jumper off cleanly (more on this later), but some of it is because he gets much more unbalanced on his shots off the dribble. He’s often forced to fade away backwards or to one side or the other when shooting off the dribble in an attempt to create more space between himself and his defender, causing loss of balance and subsequently, more misses. The same is true when he’s coming off screens as a jump shooter. This past season, he only scored 0.87 PPP on scoring attempts coming off screens (47th percentile). His inability to score effectively off screens will be an issue at the next level if he’s to be an off ball combo guard, but the foundational pieces are there for him to develop that part of his game with some hard work.
Advanced Ball Handling & Shot Creation?
As was just alluded to, Khyri doesn’t possess advanced ball handling skills. He’s almost entirely limited to straight line drives, and really lacks the shiftiness, on ball quickness or wiggle to get around defenders or to create space off the dribble. In particular, he seems to really lack the ability to drive hard to the basket with intentionality. He too often tries to bump his defender before slowing down to create space for his shot, or simply tries to out reach his defender without working to turn the corner on them. This really limits his ability to get to draw contact (more on this later) and makes it a lot harder for him to get to the rim off the dribble. When putting the ball on the floor, he often has to rely on screens or aggressive attacks on close-out defenders to gain a step advantage. Although, once he does gain an advantage, he’s pretty great at finishing the play, as is proved by his 1.214 PPP on hand off scoring attempts this past season (91st percentile). However, his lack of advanced handles, or any real effective go-to move (even something as simple as a quick crossover) will greatly limit his offensive capabilities and value at the next level if not drastically improved. This shows in his ability to score with a short shot clock (<4 seconds) where he’s forced to create 1 on 1. This past season, he only scored 0.25 PPP on jump shots in short shot clock situations (8th percentile, 16 FGA’s).
Pick & Roll Offense
Largely related to his inability to create off the dribble, Khyri has really struggled to effectively score out of the pick & roll as the ball handler. This past season, he only scored 0.603 PPP as the P&R ball handler (23rd percentile, 40 FGA’s). This is particularly concerning given his projected position of a combo guard. Even as an off ball guard, he’ll be expected to run the pick & roll to at least an average level. He just doesn’t possess the ball handling skills or quickness with the ball in his hands to get around defenders, even bigs that hedge hard, nor does he shoot the ball well enough off the dribble to make defenders pay for going under the screen. And while he has some underrated vision and passing, he struggles to make the correct reads out of the pick and roll at times, especially when trying to hit the roll man. This is an area of his game that he’ll need to work hard at improving or else he’ll have a hard time seeing the floor in the NBA. He could always be used as a Marcus Smart or JJ Reddick type off ball guard, but they’re both elite at something else that allows them to be on the floor, and it’s unclear what Khyri would do at an elite level to allow that to happen. Defense? Shooting? Probably not to the level of Smart or Reddick, so he’ll need improve his overall floor game a bit.
Low Free-throw Rate
Lastly, Khyri struggles to get to the free-throw line. For his career, he’s only averaged 2.1 FTA’s per game, with his career high being this past year at 2.6 FTA’s per game. For comparisons sake, that mark ties him for 393rd (out of 539 total) in the NCAA in free-throw attempts per game amongst players that have played 1,000 or more minutes. This coincides with his free-throw rate of 0.249 (career 0.250), which is well below average for a guard. This speaks to his overreliance on his spot-up shooting and his inability to create off the dribble and get to the rim.
NBA Fit: Coming soon!
Draft Range:
Khyri has a lot to like about his game, especially his high level shooting and defense. However, as a projected off ball combo guard, his value to an NBA team is much more limited than some of the other guards in this draft as he’s not a high level pick and roll player and struggles to create his own shot. However, with shooting and perimeter defense being at such high premiums in the league, and with Khyri having such a strong intangibles profile, it will be hard for teams to pass him up in the late first round or early 2nd.
Projected Draft Range: 20 to 35
Notes:
The Transition Scoring Argument
There’s a popular argument out there that Khyri Thomas scored the majority of his points in transition, which has over inflated his numbers and his ability to score in the half-court. This is a false argument. Yes, Khyri has scored a decent amount of his points in transition, but it’s FAR from being the majority of his points. Here’s the full break down of his scoring attempts this past season: Transition (29.6%, 186 points), Spot-up shots in the half-court (24%, 120 points), P&R ball handler (13.5%, 35 points), hand offs in the half-court (6.5%, 34 points), off screens in the half-court (5.4%, 20 points), post-ups in the half-court (4.9%, 25 points), isolation in the half-court (4.2%, 17 points), offensive rebounds (3.3%, 21 points), cuts (3%, 15 points), P&R roll man (1.2%, 2 points) and miscellaneous (4.4%, 15 points). As you can see, the overwhelming majority of Khryi’s scoring attempts came outside of transition (again, only 29.6% of his scoring occurred in transition). Additionally, his overall offense in the half court when including assists generated 1.289 PPP (91st percentile) and was more than double the number of possessions he had in transition (302 compared to 126). It should also be noted that a large portion of his scoring attempts in transition occurred after he stole the ball from a defender, and ran the floor for the scoring attempt as the ball handler. This is found when you dig into his scoring attempts in transition, where 30.7% of the possessions he acted as the ball handler, and scored 1.462 PPP (99th percentile) on those attempts. Simply put, it’s a false narrative to say that Khyri scored the majority of his points in transition. He didn’t. And the times that he did? It was often due to his defensive prowess, which is expected to translate well to the NBA.
