Washington ? Laron Profit, a former standout at Maryland, understands his chances of rejoining the team where he spent his only two NBA seasons are about as slim as he is.
Billy Thomas, a former standout at Kansas University, realizes that his shot at making the Washington Wizards is about as long as his range on the basketball court (his half-court shot at the end of the team’s open scrimmage earlier this week not withstanding).
With the Wizards battling an assortment of injuries, however, coach Eddie Jordan has had to hold on to Profit and Thomas longer than many expected. They responded against the Pistons on Wednesday, scoring 11 points apiece and playing aggressive defense during a 92-83 win.
Neither player has expressed concerned about minutes or their future with the team, either.
Thomas, 28, has been struggling to find a home in the league since he left Kansas in 1998.
He has bounced around the NBDL, the USBL, Italy, Argentina and the Philippines — “I’m a traveling man,” Thomas, a 6-foot-4 guard said, smiling — but he won’t give up the dream.
“With the way the roster is set, with three two guards, it doesn’t seem all that promising,” Thomas said of his chances to stick in Washington.
“At the same time, I’m auditioning for 29 other teams. That means I play hard with effort and energy, showing teams I can stretch the defense.”
Thomas shot 3-for-6 from the three-point arc against the Pistons, but was kicking himself afterward for shooting two “uncharacteristic” air balls with the shot clock winding down.
Coach Jordan didn’t think Thomas hurt his chances at all.
“He helped himself tremendously,” Jordan said. “It’s not like he was in a bad way, as far as making the team. I’ve always liked him.”
Thomas tallied just two points off 1-of-2 shooting in the Wizards’ 100-82 loss to Detroit on Friday night.
Profit also is on a mission.
“It’s something I can’t control, so I can’t worry about it. I can only control the amount of effort and energy I have for the game,” said Profit, who averaged 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in two seasons with the Wizards before he was traded to Orlando in 2001 for center Brendan Haywood.
Profit hasn’t made an opening-day NBA roster since, playing briefly in Italy and helping the Guangdong Southern Tigers win the Chinese Basketball Association championship last season.
Profit, 27, said his international travels helped him “fall in love with the game” again. “Sometimes when you’re in a relationship with a person, you start taking them for granted,” Profit said. “I kind of went through that with basketball.”
¢
Ex-Jayhawk update: Former KU guard Ryan Robertson, who played in the Netherlands the last two seasons, has been signed to play for a professional team in Athens, Greece. He replaced ex-Jayhawk Jeff Boschee, who left the team because of a hip injury.
Billy Thomas refuses to abandon his dream of playing in the NBA.
“Every year I’m getting closer and closer. I won’t stop until I’m there or my body can’t do it any more,” said the resilient 28-year-old former Kansas University shooting guard, who has just returned from Trieste, Italy, where he averaged 15 points a game last season in the Italian Basketball League.
His performance overseas — which followed two successful seasons in the National Basketball Developmental League — again has “sparked a lot of interest” from NBA teams, said Thomas, whose agent has been contacted by representatives of the New Jersey Nets and Washington Wizards.
Those teams are pondering bringing Thomas aboard for summer-league play. The 6-foot-4 native of Shreveport, La., played for New Jersey’s summer team the last two years.
“I’m very familiar with what they do. That probably would be a real good fit,” said Thomas, who is second on KU’s all-time three-point field-goal list with 269 made from 1995 to ’98. “It’s just a matter of having a contract. They’ve been full of guaranteed contracts. My agent has been talking to teams that may have two or three spots available.
“It depends on what teams draft (Thursday). I always have to play that last tier of guys that get in. I don’t have any problem of waiting.”
Waiting for an opportunity since leaving KU, Thomas is not bitter he has not been called up to an NBA team yet.
He never received a call in two years in the NBDL, despite scoring 49 points in one game, being named player of the month several times and winning the league’s top sportsmanship award.
“I hold records in that league. Some people say I should be frustrated I’m not where I want to be. I look at it as, I’m steadily improving,” Thomas said. “Anybody who could score 10 three-pointers in a game is obviously worthy enough of an opportunity, but it’s about timing, luck, everything else, not just ability.
“I’ve gotten really close,” he continued. “I could have gone to veterans’ camp last year. Two teams were honest enough to let me know they’ve got guaranteed contracts, and I was not even a long shot to make their team. So I chose to do other things for the experience.
“My goal this summer is to accept an invitation to veterans’ camp, try to stick there as long as I can. If things don’t work out, I know enough about overseas opportunities now to know the teams to deal with and which ones not to deal with.”
Why an NBA team hasn’t given him an opportunity to be a three-point specialist remains a mystery.
“Billy Thomas is truly one of the greatest sportsmen I have ever been around,” said Tree Rollins, Thomas’ former NBDL coach at Greenville (N.C.). “He sacrificed his ego and statistics to allow his teammates to shine. He is the true definition of a team player.”
Thomas, who has been in town for Bill Self’s basketball camp, will not complain.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to still have interest from NBA teams. I will try to milk that as long as I can until I make it,” he said.
“I’m confident. I’ve been blessed enough to always find a job somewhere,” added Thomas, who also has played in the USBL and IBL as well as the Philippines. “For me it’s about winning and playing the right way.”
