by NSL Woj
As one of the only captains who didn't tamper prior to the Free Agency period opening, Sam Thayer had to scramble last minute to fill out his team. He was able to secure a commitment from the undervalued Jack Pomper, which led to perennial MVP candidate, Steven Campbell, bailing on Josh Cooke and following Pomp to the Thorns. Hano and Paul Rodriguez - two great role players - round out the rest of the team.
Roster
Sam Thayer (C), Steven Campbell, Jack Pomper, Hano Garcia, Paul Rodriguez
Soup and Pomper will start every game for the Thorns this season, but with Hano in Amherst to start the year, that means the third spot is likely going to Paul since he recently beat Sam in a one v one at the Wells Ave YMCA. However, I expect Hano to come back for the majority of weekend games in April and May.
Coming off of a season where he averaged 32.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 2.9 APG on 44/34/70 splits, Steven Campbell is the best pure scorer in the league and it's not close. When he's making shots, there's nothing you can do to stop him. Last year, he had a few game winners and a few 40+ point games en route to a finals run with the Bears. Steven will be a great bet to lead the league in scoring - and to lead the Thorns to a top 2 offense this year.
In my opinion, Jack Pomper is the key to the Thorns season. If he has a season where he brings intensity every game, hits threes, dominates the paint, and averages an efficient 20 & 10, the Thorns will be in great shape and I would be shocked if they don't finish with a top 3 seed - regardless of how Sam, Hano and Paul play. However, if he plays lazy defense (happens every so often at the Y) and can't hit jump shots, he probably becomes the worst second option in the league, something the Thorns may not be able to come back from. I think the former is much more likely than the latter, but Jack hasn't had a great NSL career in the few games he has played in.
In recent years, Hano has become one of the best role players the league has to offer (10.5 PPG, 8 RPG, 2.7 APG last season). His unselfish play, efficient shooting and minimal weaknesses make him an indispensable option for the Thorns this season. While Hano will never wow you with his play, he's a good bet to make a massive impact this season as long as he shows up.
When the Thorns are at full strength, Paul (5.2 PPG last year) and Sam (14 PPG last year) form one of the better benches in the league. If Paul plays with confidence and improves his basketball IQ and Sam shows he can play long stretches with out getting too tired or injured, this unit will be a MASSIVE advantage for the Thorns. Sam decided to sign Paul - and his limitless potential - over Andrew Dorval in free agency, so it will be interesting to see if that was the right call.
Strengths: Scoring, Size, Captain
The Thorns boast the best scorer in the league and arguably the best bench scoring duo in the league. Soup can get buckets under virtually any circumstance (led the league in 3PM last year, making 20 more than 2nd place) and Sam and Paul each averaged 12+ points a game in tourney 2 last year for the Groundhogs. Additionally, with an elite post game and a solid midrange jumper, Jack should be good for 15+ points a game (20+ if he can hit threes). As long as Soup and Pomper are wearing the burgundy and white, I don't see many low scoring games on tap for the Thorns.
Just like scoring, size should be a major plus for the Thorns this year. Between Soup, Paul and Pomper, the Thorns have 3 of the 10 (or so?) tallest players in the league, which should enable them to physically dominate the smaller teams in the league and lead to no issues stopping big men such as Kevin Seuch, John Ross, Ryan McLaughlin and Charlie Lewis.
Sam sits atop the captain power rankings, and is getting a Thorns tattoo this weekend, highlighting the fact that he is truly all in this season. Also, he has recently contacted the league sponsor in hopes of getting his team an alternate jersey. What more could you want in a captain?
Weaknesses: Defense, Attendance
Defense and a lacking intensity have the potential to derail the Thorns championship hopes this year. With great size and length (pause), Soup and Pomper have the ability to be very good defenders, but they seem to prioritize the offensive side of the ball. Last season vs. Soups Bears, Josh Cooke scored 26 (season high), Will T scored 31 (season high), DHS scored 39, Lucas scored 45 (season high) and Rooney scored 39, 44, 54 and 61 (season high). I'm not saying this is all on Soup, it's obviously not, but it's not the best look. Pomper can be a difference maker on the defensive end, but as I mentioned above, his defense at the YMCA leaves much to be desired (I imagine that'll pick up during the NSL season though). Just the other day, Jack mentioned that he was hoping to guard the third option on teams this season so he can rest and play help D, which is a solid idea until you think about how Paul/Hano would need to guard players like Henri, Eli and Zach. Despite being the 2015 DPOY, Sam is clearly past his prime on the defensive end, as he has shifted into a more offensively focused player. The Thorns actually have the potential to turn this weakness into a strength, but it's up to them to actually do it. If Soup and Pomp care about defense as much as they do about the offensive side of the ball this year, the Thorns will be really tough to beat.
Hano is living in Amherst the first two months of the season (his attendance wasn't great when he was in Newton last year either) and Sam seemingly gets injured every year. If Hano doesn't make it back often and the inevitable occurs with Sam and his back/elbow, the Thorns will be down to 3 available players. However, this may not be a major issue with studs like Diggy and Tom Roon in the alt pool.
Soup + Pomper has the potential to be the best duo in the league, I wouldn't be surprised if Sam Thayer or Paul Rodriguez won 4th man of the year, and Hano is the perfect third piece. As it stands, I could see the Thorns finishing the regular season anywhere between first and fifth place and being a tough playoff out for anyone.
Regular Season Prediction: 5th place
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