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Matt Thomas (basketball)

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Matt Thomas
Thomas with Alba Berlin in 2023
No. 11 – Alba Berlin
PositionShooting guard
LeagueBBL
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (1994-08-04) August 4, 1994 (age 30)
Decatur, Illinois, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolOnalaska
(Onalaska, Wisconsin)
CollegeIowa State (2013–2017)
NBA draft2017: undrafted
Playing career2017–present
Career history
2017–2018Obradoiro
2018–2019Valencia
2019–2021Toronto Raptors
2021Utah Jazz
2021–2022Chicago Bulls
2023Panathinaikos
2023–presentAlba Berlin
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Matthew William Thomas (born August 4, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for Alba Berlin of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones before starting his professional career in Europe, then moving to the NBA, and back to Europe again.

Early life

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Matt Thomas was born in Decatur, Illinois. He grew up in Onalaska, Wisconsin, attending Onalaska High School. His mother had been a standout high school athlete herself. She was a swimmer, softball player, tennis player, and basketball star. She holds the school record for single game scoring at Wahlert High School in Dubuque, Iowa, with 48 points.[1]

Thomas suffered tragedy at a young age. When he was 9 years old, his father, Greg, who suffered from alcoholism, died of suicide. Because of this Thomas developed a very strong relationship with his mother.[2]

Thomas was an outstanding high school basketball player. He was named first-team all-state by the Associated Press as a junior in 2012. He averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals in 2012 to lead his team to the Division 2 state championship. Onalaska ended the year with a 27–1 record. Thomas scored 30 points in the state championship game, a 55–38 victory over Kaukauna. His senior year Thomas averaged 28.3 points and 9.7 rebounds, leading his team to the state semifinals and a 24–3 mark, shooting 50.4% percent from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. Thomas scored more than 40 points three times, including 41 points in the sectional final and a career-high 50 points in just 2 1/2 quarters vs. Tomah. He participated in the 2013 American Family Insurance High School 3-Point Championship, finishing third. Thomas ended his four-year career as a two-time first-team all-state pick with a 95–12 overall mark and over 2,000 points.[3]

An outstanding scorer, Thomas was considered one of the best shooters in the class of 2013 and one of the best players from Wisconsin. A consensus top-100 national recruit, Thomas was ranked No. 51 by ESPN, No. 54 by Rivals.com, and No. 58 by Scout.com in the final national rankings.[4] Being highly sought after Thomas eventually chose Iowa State over Virginia, Minnesota, Boston College and Marquette.[5]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Matt Thomas
G 		Onalaska, WI Onalaska High School (WI) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Jun 14, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 54, 15 (G)  ESPN: 51, 3 (WI), 12 (G)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Iowa State 2013 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  • "2013 Iowa State Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  • "2013 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 16, 2015.

College career

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Freshman season

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Thomas began his true freshman campaign as a starter for Iowa State. He is only the 20th ISU freshman to start a season opener. He started in the first 15 games before being replaced in the starting line-up by Monte Morris. Despite becoming the 6th man, Thomas still appeared in all 36 games that season.[6] Over the season Thomas averaged 5.5 points, scored in double figures eight times, and shot 33.6% from behind the arc. He made four three-pointers in a game twice during the season. He made a three in 25 games with 44 three-pointers total, which is good enough for second-most by a Cyclone freshman.

Sophomore season

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Thomas spent two days in jail following his arrest for an OWI on July 14, 2014.[7] Thomas began his sophomore season serving a three-game suspension.<[8] Due to increased bench depth his sophomore season, Thomas saw a slightly diminished role. He saw action in 32 total games, scoring in double figures nine times. He was third on the team with 32 three-pointers made. Thomas grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and hit 5–6 shots to score 13 points against Alabama in the season opener.[9] He led the Cyclones in scoring for the first time in his career against Lamar, with 14 points.[10] He scored a career-high 17 points at Texas, included 4–6 from the three-point range.[11]

Junior season

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Due to the season-ending injury of Naz Long, Thomas moved back into the starting lineup.[12]

Professional career

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Obradoiro CAB (2017–2018)

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Thomas played for the Los Angeles Lakers 2017 summer league team. He scored 23 points on 8–9 shooting in the summer league title game to help the Lakers to a 110–98 victory.

On August 29, 2017, Thomas signed with Monbus Obradoiro of Spain's Liga ACB.[13] In his first professional game of his career, Thomas recorded 21 points in 4-for-5 shooting from three-point line as he helped Obradoiro win against Zaragoza.[14]

Valencia (2018–2019)

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On July 11, 2018, Thomas signed a two-year deal with Valencia of Spain's Liga ACB.[15] He had an effective field goal percentage of 99 percent on catch-and-shoot attempts when unguarded, picking up the nickname Mr. 99%.[16][17]

Toronto Raptors (2019–2021)

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On July 19, 2019, Thomas signed with the Toronto Raptors.[18] On October 26, 2019, Thomas made his NBA debut, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds, in the Raptors 108–84 win over the Chicago Bulls.[19] On November 25, Thomas suffered a fractured finger on his left hand.[20][21] He returned to action on January 6, 2020, suiting up on a rehab assignment for the Raptors 905, the Raptors' NBA G League affiliate.[22] On January 7, Thomas returned to the Raptors lineup recording eight points and a career-high six rebounds in the Raptors' 101–99 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.[23] On February 8, Thomas scored a career-high 15 points in a 119–118 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[24] On February 23, Thomas bested his career high with 17 points and five 3-pointers in a 127–81 victory against the Indiana Pacers.[25][26] In the Raptors’ sixth game returning from the suspension of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic on August 10, Thomas scored a career-high 22 points, hitting 4 three-pointers, in a 114–106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Orlando bubble.[27]

Utah Jazz (2021)

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On March 25, 2021, the Raptors traded Thomas to the Utah Jazz for a future second-round draft pick.[28] On April 28, Thomas scored a season-high 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field and 1-of-1 from the three in a 154–105 win over the Sacramento Kings.[29] On August 1, he was waived by the Jazz.[30]

Chicago Bulls (2021–2022)

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On September 8, 2021, Thomas signed with the Chicago Bulls.[31] With 13 players out of the lineup due to COVID-19 protocols in December, Thomas saw increased playing time. On December 26, he played 19 minutes, scoring five points, in a 113–105 victory over the Indiana Pacers.[32] The following day, he made three critical 3-pointers in 19 minutes on the floor in a 130–118 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.[33]

Panathinaikos (2023)

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On January 31, 2023, Thomas made his return to Europe for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague, signing a contract through 2024, with the second season being a team option. In 10 EuroLeague games (5 starts), he averaged 8.1 points and 2 rebounds (shooting with 40% from the 3-point line) in 18 minutes per contest. Thomas appeared in only one game in domestic competition due to the Greek league's restrictions on foreign players. On July 15, 2023, Panathinaikos opted out of their mutual contract and Thomas became a free agent.

Alba Berlin (2023–present)

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On August 7, 2023, Thomas signed a one-year contract with German club Alba Berlin. The deal reportedly included a buy-out clause for EuroLeague clubs.

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

NBA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Toronto 41 1 10.7 .487 .475 .750 1.5 .5 .2 .0 4.9
2020–21 Toronto 26 0 7.4 .387 .415 .857 .8 .3 .1 — 2.7
Utah 19 0 7.1 .400 .256 .857 1.2 .5 .1 — 3.6
2021–22 Chicago 40 0 11.5 .410 .385 .800 1.2 .5 .2 .1 4.0
Career 126 1 9.7 .433 .404 .804 1.2 .5 .2 .0 4.0

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020 Toronto 10 0 8.4 .619 .417 — 1.4 .7 .1 .1 3.1
2021 Utah 3 0 2.3 .000 — — .3 — — — 0.0
Career 13 0 7.0 .565 .417 — 1.1 .5 .1 .1 2.4

EuroLeague

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2022–23 Panathinaikos 10 5 18.3 .448 .405 .750 2.0 .4 .6 — 8.1 6.7
2023–24 Alba Berlin 30 19 22.0 .448 .432 .889 2.0 1.6 .5 — 10.1 8.0
Career 40 24 21.1 .448 .426 .846 2.0 1.3 .5 — 9.6 7.6

EuroCup

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2018–19 Valencia 23 9 22.1 .518 .477 .909 1.3 1.7 .5 — 12.7 10.9
Career 23 9 22.1 .518 .477 .909 1.3 1.7 .5 — 12.7 10.9

Domestic leagues

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Year Team League GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Spain Valencia ACB 29 20.4 .511 .485 .846 1.5 1.6 .4 .0 11.4
2019–20 United States Raptors 905 G League 1 34.4 .368 .250 1.000 10.0 4.0 — — 18.0
2022–23 Greece Panathinaikos HEBA A1 1 16.3 .333 .400 — 2.0 — 1.0 — 6.0
2023–24 Germany Alba Berlin BBL 37 23.3 .488 .453 .891 2.4 1.9 .7 .0 13.1

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2013–14 Iowa State 36 15 21.2 .367 .336 .667 1.1 1.1 .6 .2 5.5
2014–15 Iowa State 32 0 15.3 .368 .330 .714 2 .7 .3 .1 4.9
2015–16 Iowa State 35 27 33.6 .440 .432 .902 4.4 1.7 .8 .2 11.0
2016–17 Iowa State 35 34 30.9 .477 .445 .891 3.9 1.7 .9 .1 12.3
Career 138 76 25.4 .427 .401 .815 3.1 1.3 .7 .1 8.5

References

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  1. ^ Sommerfeldt, Todd (March 4, 2012). "Family tragedy and glory help shape Onalaska's Matt Thomas". La Crosse Tribune. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  2. ^ Gottlieb, Doug (December 10, 2015). "Iowa State's 6th man and the struggle of grief, love and basketball". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  3. ^ "Matt Thomas - 2016-17 Basketball (M) Roster". cyclones.com. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  4. ^ Sommerfeldt, Todd (June 14, 2012). "Onalaska's Matt Thomas chooses Iowa State". La Crosse Tribune. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  5. ^ "Cyclones Gather Top-25 Recruiting Class". cyclones.com. November 14, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  6. ^ Hayes, Bennet (November 21, 2013). "Fred Hoiberg's Unique Formula Continues To Add Up To Wins". rushthecourt.net. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  7. ^ Phillips, Scott (June 14, 2014). "Report: Iowa State guard Matt Thomas arrested for OWI, suspended indefinitely". CollegeBasketballTalk. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  8. ^ "Matt Thomas, Abdel Nader suspended". ESPN.com. October 1, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  9. ^ Dible, Max (November 24, 2014). "Matt Thomas plays big role in season debut". Iowa State Daily. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  10. ^ Murphy, Keith (December 3, 2014). "ISU Gets Back To Cyclone Basketball". whotv.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  11. ^ "Niang and Thomas lead No. 14 Iowa State over Texas 85-77". ESPN.com. February 21, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  12. ^ Birch, Tommy (December 15, 2015). "Iowa State's Naz Mitrou-Long to miss rest of season". Des Moines Register. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  13. ^ "Matt Thomas: "Me siento muy afortunado de formar parte de esta familia y este club en mi primera experiencia como profesional"". Obradoiro CAB - Monbus Obradoiro (in European Spanish). August 29, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  14. ^ "Obradoiro 80 - Zaragoza 74". EuroBasket. September 30, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  15. ^ "Acuerdo entre Valencia BC y Matt Thomas para las dos próximas temporadas". http (in European Spanish). July 11, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  16. ^ Rafferty, Scott (July 20, 2019). "What Matt Thomas brings to the Toronto Raptors". NBA.com Canada. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  17. ^ Varma, Neeraj (July 21, 2019). "Justifying The Hype Around The Iceman, Matt Thomas". Raptors Cage. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  18. ^ "Raptors Sign Matt Thomas". NBA.com. July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  19. ^ Loung, Steven (October 26, 2019). "Raptors' Anunoby shows glimpse of what he could be in rout of Bulls". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  20. ^ "Raptors' Thomas fractured bone in finger". TSN. November 25, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  21. ^ "Raptors' Matt Thomas likely out four weeks with broken finger". www.sportsnet.ca. November 26, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  22. ^ Loung, Steven (January 6, 2020). "Rehab stint with 905 helps Matt Thomas shake off rust before Raptors return - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  23. ^ "Raptors' Matt Thomas: Sees 15 minutes in return". CBSSports.com. January 7, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  24. ^ "Raptors top Nets 119-118, extend record winning streak to 14". ESPN.com. February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  25. ^ "Raptors' Matt Thomas: Scores career-high 17". CBSSports.com. February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  26. ^ "Raptors roll to biggest win of season, beat Pacers 127-81". ESPN.com. February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  27. ^ "Raptors beat Bucks as Boucher, Thomas have career games". Sportsnet. Associated Press. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  28. ^ "Utah Jazz Acquire Matt Thomas". NBA.com. March 25, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  29. ^ "Jazz's Matt Thomas: Goes off in garbage time". CBSSports.com. April 29, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  30. ^ "Utah Jazz waive Matt Thomas". NBA.com. August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  31. ^ "Bulls sign Free Agents". NBA.com. September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  32. ^ "National Basketball Association" (PDF). December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  33. ^ "National Basketball Association" (PDF). December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
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