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Knicks Rumors: Reasons To Love The Lance Thomas Re-Signing

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 18, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) defends New York Knicks forward Lance Thomas (42) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) defends New York Knicks forward Lance Thomas (42) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Lance Thomas (42) saves the ball from going out of bounds by bouncing it off of Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Khris Middleton (22) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Lance Thomas (42) saves the ball from going out of bounds by bouncing it off of Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Khris Middleton (22) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Glue Guy

Every championship team has a glue guy whose impact goes beyond the box score. Much of what they do isn’t based on statistics, but instead the stability they provide as they bridge the gap between star and role player.

Throughout the 2015-16 regular season, it became abundantly clear that Lance Thomas is the New York Knicks’ glue guy.

In the 59 games that Thomas played, New York compiled a record of 25-34—good for a win percentage of .424. In the 23 games that New York played without Thomas, it went 7-16—good for a win percentage of .304.

Neither mark is especially intriguing, but the fact that the Knicks were 12 win percentage points better with Thomas than without him is telling.

For fans of the advanced metrics, Thomas had the best net rating on the Knicks at -0.1—yes, higher than the numbers accumulated by Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. When Thomas wasn’t on the floor, the Knicks had a net rating of -4.2.

Thomas made the Knicks 12 win percentage points and 4.1 points per 100 possessions better in 2015-16—and he did that on a worse team than he’ll be playing for in 2016-17.

Next: The No. 1 Pro

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