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NBA Draft 2018 Prospect Watch: Khyri Thomas

By Jordan Treske

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 01: Creighton Bluejays guard Khyri Thomas (2) looks on during the college basketball game between the Creighton Bluejays and the Villanova Wildcats on February 01, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia PA. (Photo by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 01: Creighton Bluejays guard Khyri Thomas (2) looks on during the college basketball game between the Creighton Bluejays and the Villanova Wildcats on February 01, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia PA. (Photo by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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KANSAS CITY, MO – NOVEMBER 20: (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

What the experts say

ESPN (Jonathan Givony): 23rd

The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor, Jonathan Tjarks, Danny Chau): 18th

Sporting News (Chris Stone): 23rd

The Athletic (Sam Vecenie): 23rd

The Stepien (Cole Zwicker): 44th (Tier 7)

The Step Back (Brandon Kleen): 28th

Quotes:

When evaluating all of the underclassmen who have declared for the draft at this point, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie detailed why it would be in Thomas’ best interest to stay in the draft:

"“Basically, Thomas is one of the best and most translatable role players in this NBA Draft. He has the look and intensity of a Patrick Beverley-type who should play a role in the NBA for a long time. He should stay in the draft. Even if he was to become an All-American next season, I’m not sure the upside exists for him to jump into the top 10, meaning he’d just be passing up on a season of real earning potential while putting off free agency for another year.”"

While he details the concerns of where his development could go when he reaches the NBA level, Jackson Hoy of The Stepien writes that Thomas still stands as a sure thing from this year’s class of “3-and-D” prospects:

"“Thomas is one of the safest bets from this year’s 3-and-D crop thanks to his proven year-over-year shooting, projectable frame and intensity on defense. With his underrated court vision and continually improving finishing ability, there’s some hope that Thomas can add some ancillary value on offense outside of spacing the floor. That said, it’s worth questioning how much of his below-the-rim game will translate inside the arc and how valuable he’ll be as a shot creator without advanced dribble moves. Thomas may also have some problems with bigger players on defense even with his plus length and strength. It’s worth wondering how much better he can get considering he has mostly maximized his physical profile at this point. Even so, he’s got a high floor as a dependable shot-maker on offense and a high-motor defender who succeeds on and off the ball.”"

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