7. Hollis Thompson
76ers stats:
| Season | Age | Tm | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 22 | PHI | SF | 77 | 41 | 22.6 | .460 | .401 | .507 | .550 | .712 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 6.0 |
| 2014-15 | 23 | PHI | SG | 71 | 23 | 25.0 | .413 | .401 | .426 | .518 | .708 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 8.8 |
| 2015-16 | 24 | PHI | SG | 77 | 17 | 28.0 | .397 | .380 | .420 | .507 | .719 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 9.8 |
| 2016-17 | 25 | PHI | SG | 31 | 1 | 18.1 | .415 | .366 | .455 | .497 | .650 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 5.5 |
| 4 seasons | PHI | 256 | 82 | 24.3 | .417 | .389 | .447 | .519 | .709 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 7.9 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/5/2019.
When Sixers fans talk about “Process Players,” we often talk about players who helped us lose or were fan favorites because of their comically inept play. In the case of Hollis Thompson, however, many fans saw a legitimate career path for the sharpshooting wing. The Georgetown Alumni went undrafted in 2012 and signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder and went directly to their G-League affiliate the Tulsa 66ers. He then went on to sign with Philadelphia in 2013.
In his four NBA seasons, Thompson never averaged double digits, but did shoot an impressive 38.6 percent from downtown. Clearly, Sixers fans were never riding their hopes of future success on the shoulders of Hollis Thompson, but he felt like one of the few players who could be a solid role player come playoff time. His overall athleticism gave him the feel of an NBA athlete, but his hesitation to use that athleticism was one of the more frustrating aspects of his game.
Hollis Thompson not cracking the All-Time “Process” Starting five is no disrespect to the role that he played for a young, struggling 76ers team and their fans.
Playing over 200 games for the Sixers between 2013 and 2016, Thompson was a true sharpshooting wing in every sense of the term for Philly. Not much of a ball-handler or slasher, Hollis fell victim to his one-dimensional play.
Despite standing 6-foot-8, he only averaged 3.1 rebounds for his career. This lack of production, combined with a steadily improving 76ers roster, led to his departure from the team in the 2016-17 season, where he ended the season with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Despite his short career, I could still see a roster spot on today’s 76ers roster for Hollis Thompson as a sharpshooting wing. He would most likely be a 5-8 minute per game player who strictly comes in to shoot 3’s, think along the lines of a more athletic Jason Kapono. Though it was never expected that Thompson would be a star, he was one of the very few warriors of “The Process” that had a skill-set that aligned with the current NBA landscape.
Hollis Thompson not cracking the All-Time “Process” starting five is no disrespect to the role that he played for a young, struggling 76ers team and their fans. Thompson was one of the few bright spots in a time where the end of the tunnel felt lightyears away. For that reason alone, he will forever be a legend of “The Process”.