New York Knicks Midseason Grades By Position: Power Forward

Lance Thomas was considered a throw-in for the Knicks when they acquired him in a three-team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014. He made the most of the 10-day contracts he received with the Knicks, turning them into a one-year deal with the Knicks. New York liked Thomas enough that they signed him to a four-year deal this past offseason.

Thomas had played well for the Knicks and was an integral part of their success last season before injuries beset him. Unfortunately, injuries have ruined Thomas 2016-17 season thus far again.

Thomas has missed 14 games this season with a multitude of injuries. He has battled injuries to his feet, having plantar fasciitis in both feet and an ankle injury that worsened into a bone bruise. Most recently he was inadvertently elbowed by Jonas Valanciunas, suffering concussion-like symptoms and a fractured orbital bone.

With all the time missed, Thomas has looked out of sync whenever he was on the court and it shows. He is shooting only 37.9 percent from the field overall, causing his offensive rating to plummet. His defensive rating has dropped from last season as well, as the injuries have ruined his chance to build chemistry with his teammates and shake off the rust.

The Knicks’ net rating is exponentially better when Thomas is off the court as well. With Thomas on the court, the Knicks have an offensive rating of 100.5 and a defensive rating of 111. When Thomas is off the court, those numbers improve to 106.7 offensively and 107.3 defensively.

It is clear the injuries have negatively impacted Thomas performance on the court, as he is arguably the Knicks biggest negative thus far this season.