If the Detroit Pistons want to add some size and physicality to the frontcourt, you can not get much better than Thor. Of course, we are talking about Auburn forward JT Thor, who should be a prime target with one of their three second round draft picks.
Now, if it was legal to carry a hammer on the basketball court, the Norse god and Marvel superhero of the same name would certainly be a good player to have. It would certainly bring a whole new meaning to phrase ‘pick-and-roll’.
But Jokhow ‘JT” Thor, a 6-foot-10 intriguing prospect in the NBA Draft, has his version of the Hammer, as he told the Auburn website in a Q&A:
"Q: With the last name Thor, are you a big Marvel guy?Thor: I’m a big fan of Marvel. Thor is my guy. I always liked him because it was my name. So I liked him from the jump. And we can both drop the hammer. That thunderous dunk."
It is good to see he has fun with his last name. One could imagine the fans at Little Caesars Arena waving (toy) hammers when he makes a basket, and him and center Isaiah Stewart being referred to as the ‘Hulk-Thor’ frontcourt.
And lots of funny comments would come when Detroit played Milwaukee, and Thor guarded Thanos (Antetokounmpo).
OK, jokes aside, JT Thor is almost the perfect candidate for what Pistons general manager Troy Weaver likes in a draft choice.
- Thor is very young. He will be just 18-years-old at the time of the draft.
- He stands 6-foot-10 with a 7-3.25 wingspan, which should make him a solid defender.
- He is athletic and agile, with loads of upside, as he did not start playing competitive basketball until seventh grade.
- Appears to be a high character individual, a must for Weaver to even get considered.
Thor is someone who could grow along with the young core the Pistons are building. He is only 203 pounds so, right now, he would have to be considered strictly as a power forward. Remember, he is just 18, so Thor should fill out in the coming years.
He was a starter his freshman year at Auburn, averaging 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 0.9 assists and 0.8 steals in 23.3 minutes a game. It what might have been a glimpse into his future potential, Thor scored 24 points and nine rebounds in a game against Kentucky.
JT Thor’s interesting background
Thor’s parents are immigrants from South Sudan. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska but spent most of his childhood in Anchorage, Alaska.
He attended three high schools, West Anchorage, Huntington Prep in West Virginia (where his brother lived) and Norcross, Georgia his senior year. He reclassified to the 2020 class, which is why he is so young entering the draft.
Thor has an all-around game, but right now does not do any one thing extremely well, which is why he will be available late first or early second round.
One of the positives of having a team that just went 20-52 is you have time for players to develop. Thor would be lost on a Phoenix Suns or Milwaukee Bucks team looking to win now.
However, if he is drafted by a young, up-and-coming squad, like the Pistons, Thor could be a true diamond in the rough, maybe like the Raptors’ Pascal Siakam. He would start off, undoubtedly, with the Pistons new G-League team, the Motor City Cruise, his first year and he could grow at his own pace, under no pressure to help an NBA team in a title run.
In a few years, the NBA could feel the Detroit Pistons version of Thor with the hammer (dunk):
6’9 Auburn freshman JT Thor with a great pump fake involving both a head fake & selling his shot with the ball, then just two absurdly long strides to a ridiculous dunk pic.twitter.com/P3BcJvNKFN
— rol (@roIandius) December 16, 2020