“That’s going to continue to be a process, but those are controllable things that I need to make sure that I do every night.”, Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. He was third on the team with 32 three-pointers made. The Raptors have to be excited about Thomas’ unique skill set going forward, as they start thinking about bridging their way — inexpensively — to the summer of 2021. [16][17], On July 19, 2019, Thomas signed with the Toronto Raptors. Flaunt your sleek NBA aesthetic at the next game with iconic Toronto Raptors jerseys available at Raptors Store. Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. He took 73 of these shots during the regular season, 40 more than any other type of shot according to NBA.com’s available types, making 45.2 percent of them. Eventually, Matt cemented his place in the rotation, starting nearly all of Iowa’s games in his junior and senior years. Not only did he hold his own in his time on the floor, he left us breadcrumbs to see the type of player he can become fully formed. And we’ve got to review each of their ratings. Among the Raptors’ depth pieces, he’s played fewer games than Terence Davis Jr. and Chris Boucher, but almost as many minutes. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. We’ll have to wait and see if he gets a chance to use that skill though. Thomas spent two days in jail following his arrest for an OWI on July 14, 2014. With the playoffs and lottery over and done with, we’re keeping on top of the latest draft news for Toronto with a look at their recent player workouts, Assistant GM Dan Tolzman’s media scrum, and more. The need is even greater with Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Patrick McCaw sidelined by injuries — giving newcomers to the roster a chance to step up and show what they can do. Matt Thomas (born August 4, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). 51 by ESPN, No. In a half court offense that ended up middle of the pack in the NBA, his one killer ability gave the Raptors’ an extra arrow in their quiver. Raptors head coach Nick Nurse already has 111 career wins, a Coach of the Year trophy, and an NBA championship ring in just two seasons. Thanks to Joshua Mendelsohn’s new book The Cap, we now have a clearer picture of how exactly the financial framework of the modern NBA was built — and what that means today. There, he shot a ridiculous 47.7 percent from beyond the arc (48.5 percent in the Liga ACB), planting his name firmly on the map — and dead centre on Masai Ujiri’s radar. To order copies of Thomas is 13-for-23 from three (56.5 per cent) and shooting 57.5 per cent from the field. The six-foot-five forward played college ball at Iowa State, the same state that produced Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, and the stories of high-profile players are familiar to everyone in the area. While the Raptors were off winning their first ever championship, Matt Thomas was busy winning a championship of his own: the EuroCup. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. The interest was for good reason: The 25-year-old went 4-for-5 from the field — 2-for-2 from three — against the Dallas Mavericks for a career-high 10 points (his first double-digit tally in nine NBA games) to go with three defensive rebounds, matching his best. He is only the 20th ISU freshman to start a season opener. What do we make of Matt Thomas in 2019-20? [3], An outstanding scorer, Thomas was considered one of the best shooters in the class of 2013 and one of the best players from Wisconsin. Report: Raptors’ Terence Davis arrested in NYC for assault. Nick Nurse’s new contract could mean new accolades and more awards. He made a three in 25 games with 44 three-pointers total, which is good enough for second-most by a Cyclone freshman. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution [4] Being highly sought after Thomas eventually chose Iowa State over Virginia, Minnesota, Boston College and Marquette.[5]. Team: Toronto Raptors. “Look, you guys know I love shooting and I love shooters,” Nurse said. When combined with middling athleticism, he won’t be able to consistently close the gap between himself and his assignment without being blown by. Ahead of the season, the obvious candidates for minutes behind the Raptors’ top seven guys were the ones who already had their run through the league — Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson. [19] On November 25, Thomas suffered a fractured finger on his left hand. [22] On January 7, Thomas returned to the Raptors lineup recording eight points and a career-high six rebounds in the Raptors' 101–99 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Thomas has a slight build and early in the season, he often found himself out of position on the defensive end or being attacked on a mismatch. Given the season that just wrapped up, that contract looks to be more than fair for a player who followed up hard work and three-point shooting in Spain by coming to the NBA and showing, well, hard work and three-point shooting. Now that we’ve gone over some history, let’s discuss how he’ll fit into the Raptors’ rotation. Even in an offense with active cutters and screeners, Matt should see much of his time firmly planted in the corner as the shot clock winds down, waiting for the ball to swing his way. Just one peek at Matt Thomas’ shot plot from the regular season gives us what we want. Three players stand out for their excellence while a couple of others are true head-scratchers.