Grading every Toronto Raptors move this offseason
Signing Matt Thomas
Matt Thomas was signed for one reason and one reason only — his ability to shoot that thang. No Thomas isn’t a great athlete, he doesn’t create much for others, and yes, he’s a defensive liability. But man, can he shoot it.
Over the past two seasons, in Europe, Thomas shot 47-percent from beyond the arc. In college, he put up similar numbers. However, the most impressive Matt Thomas shooting statistic comes via Synergy, who charted Thomas with an EFG% of 99-percent! when he is left unguarded.
Matt Thomas was arguably the top jump shooter outside of the NBA last season posting an eFG% of 82% on catch and shoot jump shots including 99% when left unguarded.
— Synergy Basketball (@SynergySST) July 1, 2019
Thomas isn’t just a good shooter, he likely enters the NBA as one of the best spot-up guys in the league.
Of course, he also was playing in Europe for a reason. Thomas doesn’t offer much else from an offensive standpoint, and more importantly, will struggle to stay on the floor defensively. He’s 6-foot-5 with a tiny wingspan and mediocre-to-poor athleticism. He’s not quick enough to guard point guards, and might not be large enough to handle opposing wings.
However, he’s signed to a minimum contract, and if you’re going to take a shot on a guy, it’s smart to gamble on a player with at least one NBA-quality skill.
Toronto knows that Thomas can play on offense. Now, they just need to protect him a bit with schemes on the other end of the court.
Thomas is certainly not the only shooter in the NBA who lacks the foot-speed and skill-level to compete defensively. If he can survive on that end, he’s could be a quality acquisition.
Ultimately it’s a no-risk, decently high-upside play. If Thomas is able to be a shooting spark-plug for 15-20 minutes per game, this could be the best deal of the bunch.