One of the youngest players in last year’s NBA Draft, forward JT Thor did a little bit of everything throughout his rookie season with the Hornets, thanks in large part to his length and defensive playmaking capabilities.
Over 33 NBA appearances this season, Thor averaged 2.0 points on 43.6% shooting and 1.3 rebounds in 7.9 minutes of action. His heaviest usage came during a three-game span in early December, when he put up 6.7 points on 50% shooting, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21.0 minutes, a run that included a career-high 8 points on Dec. 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Thor also made a handful of G League assignments to Greensboro, where he averaged 12.1 points on 48% shooting, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 17 total outings. He recorded a G League season-high 34 points, 12 rebounds and a 4-of-7 clip from 3-point range against the Birmingham Squadron on Nov. 5, the first of three double-doubles on the campaign.
“It was pretty interesting I would say,” said Thor, when asked about how his rookie season played out during exit interviews. “From the beginning of training camp until now, I feel like improved a lot. I have a long ways to go, but from a knowledge standpoint, I learned a lot this season. I feel like I’m just going to take off from here.”
Thor played alongside fellow rookie big Kai Jones a lot in Greensboro, perhaps providing a very early glance at the team’s future frontcourt core. “It was pretty beneficial just knowing you have somebody doing it with you,” added Thor. “You’re not just doing it by yourself. Kai is the type of guy who has a positive mindset 24/7. When you’re around him, you just feel it. I feel like that helped the transition and driving up [to Greensboro] back and forth.”
The 37th selection in last summer’s NBA Draft was acquired by the Hornets in a draft-night deal with the Detroit Pistons, a move that also sent Mason Plumlee to Charlotte. Still just 19 years old right now after reclassifying at the end of high school, Thor immediately began displaying some intriguing skills at Summer League, including an ever-so-smooth jumper and a steady calmness when handling the basketball.
Mid-season injuries to Gordon Hayward, Jalen McDaniels and Cody Martin pushed Thor into the Hornets’ rotation for a significant stretch around the All-Star Break. While his game still needs a good amount of polishing and reps, the Auburn product filled in quite well because of his proficiency on the defensive end.
“I feel like my identity right now is just using my versatility,” he said. “Down in Greensboro, they had me playing at the four and five. Up here (in Charlotte), I’ll guard the two through four. Being able to switch efficiently, that was my role this year. It’s fun for me (to guard multiple positions) because I have a greater wingspan than others in the league. As soon as [my strength] comes, it’s going to be really exciting for me.”
Offensively, Thor has all the makings of becoming an excellent rim-runner and potential three-level scorer at the NBA level. While he shot only 25.9% from 3-point range (7-of-27) and 30.6% in the G League, his shot mechanics are overall fairly clean, especially for a player of his stature.
Combining his 6-9 height with a condor-like 7-3 wingspan, Thor has the prototypical size and length to become a high-level, multi-positional NBA defender. He’ll probably continue to be brought along slowly, but there’s certainly no reason not to be excited about the future of the Hornets’ young forward.
“Keep improving my strength, keep working on my jumpshot, keep understanding the knowledge of the game, keep learning, keep watching film,” said Thor. “Just apply all of that every day. You have to continue to work, even in the offseason when nobody is watching. We’re going to be in training camp [in September] and we’re going to see who improved, how guys got better, how they understand the game more. So, I’m excited. I’m just going to work this summer to try and get better and see what I can do next year.”