Expert Analyst: James Thomas of Climamio
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Very few players step into the Euroleague and make a name for themselves as fast as James Thomas of Climamio Bologna did in his first season. Thomas finished two rebounds short of being the regular season rebounds leader, falling second between two of the all-time best: Tanoka Beard and Mirsad Turkcan. If he had not missed a game, he might have averaged a double-double. He also ranked 18th overall in index performance rating. If he impressed people in his first season, Thomas was impressed, too, particularly by two teams now ready to face each other in the playoffs: Tau Ceramica and Olympiacos. Thomas pulled 19 rebounds in a game against each of them, so deserves as much as anyone to analyze - and predict the winner of - their series. "That's a tough call," Thomas told Euroleague.net. "What I wish most is that it was us playing. But if you are going to put me on the spot, I am going to go with Tau. I think that at home that team seems unstoppable."
James, congratulations on finishing as the second-best rebounder in your first Euroleague season. What were your impressions of the competition?
"It was a great experience for me. I got to play against some very, very good teams. Personally, coming here for the first time, I never would have imagined it was so good. But what I saw this year made me a believer. Most definitely, hands down, the competition is great, especially in the Euroleague. I had heard a few names before coming, but there are a lot of good players that you never heard about in the States. You come here, see them and they are great players on the same level as the NBA."
One of the teams you played against twice was Tau Ceramica. What do they bring to the table?
 "First, the bring Luis Scola, who is one of the best big man I have ever played against. He's got a great touch around the basket, he's smar and he's just a great player. Tiago Splitter is young and has the chance to be just as good. The whole set of guards they have is great. But the main thing is that the whole team seems to be clicking together. I know we beat them in Bologna, and were one of the only teams to beat them. But it was far from easy. It was on our home court and we knew what we had at stake, our survival, so we didn't lay down. But that was just one night, and Tau has been great the whole rest of the season."
And what about Olympiacos?
"That team, especially when Sofoklis Schortsianitis is in the middle, is a very physical team. They are big, long and athletic. Scoonie Penn, Alex Acker and Henry Domercant work well together outside. They play physical and play hard. Everybody can score on that team too. There's not one guy on the team who can't put the ball in the hoop. And everyone knows their roels, when to shoot, when to get the ball to the hot hand and when to play hard defense. They don't look at each asking for the ball. They go out and just play. It's surprising nowadays to see teams full of guys who can score 30 but go out and play their roles. That's the sign of a good team."
So what is your expert prediction about the series. Who is going to win?
"That's a tough call. What I wish most is that it was us playing. But if you are going to put me on the spot, I am going to go with Tau. I think that at home that team seems unstoppable. They've been on a winning streak, too. I'm usually a big underdog guy, but I have to go with Tau. They play hard and their pressure on the ball is unbelievable."
Can you take the prediction one step further and choose all the Final Four teams?
"OK, let's see. I've got Tau already. I've got Panathiniakos and CSKA, too. And in the other series, I am going to take Barcelona. And if those teams make it like I predict, it's going to be a very tough Final Four with them."
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Euroleague.net
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