Mike Thorne Jr.
In the NBA, the big man is starting to become a lost position. The fast-paced quick-shooting style is now trending.
But, I think there is always room for a great rebounding big man, just look at the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. They had Tristian Thompson and he was vital to their success.
I think Mike Thorne Jr. has the ability to become that type of player. He can bang around inside and rebound well.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Before Thorne went down with an injury last season he was playing pretty well. He averaged 21.4 MPG and 12.9 PPG.
Thorne’s rebounding was great too. He averaged 8.5 RPG in the short span Illini fans had a chance to see him play.
Now Thorne is back for a sixth year and things should be great.
Best Case
Thorne is a big man and can rebound. He is also able to control the paint pretty well. NBA teams are going to need a player like this, but maybe not in the first round.
The best case scenario for Thorne is that he has a dominating year in the Big Ten and gets vaulted up the draft board in the late first round. This could be someone for the Warriors or Thunder to nab.
Worst Case
Thorne did deal with an injury last season. This could hurt his draft stock tremendously. I could also see his size playing a factor in the draft as well.
Thorne stands at 6-foot-11 and weighs 270-pounds. For a league that is going to a more up-pace game, this might not be the type of player teams are wanting.
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The worst case seems to be Thorne not getting drafted and then him attempting a run in the summer league. From there I could see him signing on with a D-League team and having a solid career.