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Former Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas says he is ready to show NBA teams that he can bring energy and defense to the floor instead of just scoring touch.
(Associated Press)
CHICAGO, Ill. -- Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas thinks he could be a first-round pick in the NBA draft on June 27 - if everything goes right.
The 6-7 junior forward led the Big Ten in scoring at 19.8 points per game before announcing his intention to turn pro. He is projected as a second-round pick at this point.
"I believe I can be that late first-round pick,'' Thomas said at the NBA combine on Thursday morning. "I have confidence. But all I've got to do is keep working, do what I can do. As long as I can feel like when I can walk out of that gym that I worked hard, I'll leave it in God's hands and everything will take care of itself.''
Asked if it would be a slight to be second-rounder after his career at Ohio State, Thomas said, "It's all about getting in there and being with the right team, having the right team pick you and going from there. Are you going to work out? Are you going to keep going? That's what my motivation is. Get in there, work out, try to work your way up and be great.''
There are questions about Thomas' effort when he's not scoring, but he's ready to answer those on the floor.
"I can bring great energy,'' he said. "I can bright the toughness, the competitiveness, the will to win. Everybody says, 'Yeah, you can bring the scoring but what else can you do?'
"I can go out there and get the extra points, extra rebounds, extra assists, just the little things. I learned that from playing at Ohio State. It's not all about the scoring. It's all about the effort and doing the little things to help your team win.''