Is JT Thor poised for breakout season as a key Hornets reserve? ‘He’s been amazing’
LaMelo Ball is finished lifting weights, finalizing his postgame conditioning routine when a query was hurled in his direction about one of the Charlotte Hornets’ third-year forwards.
Without hesitation, Ball perfectly imitates JT Thor’s jump shot, mimicking the motion left-handed like it was his own natural stroke. Then the Hornets star point guard succinctly summarized the progression of the 2021 second-round pick and the impressions he’s leaving on people in the organization.
“Yeah, he’s been in the gym,” Ball said. “You can tell. So, definitely just trying to stay on him and keep him going. I feel like he can help us.”
Throughout the early part of Charlotte’s preseason — and really extending back into the optional workouts in September — there’s been a slowly growing murmur regarding Thor’s offseason improvement. The potential for a breakout season from the 21-year-old is there.
A product of Auburn, Thor quickly became a favorite of Steve Clifford since he took over the head coaching duties last year, in part because of his versatility and team-first approach. And Thor could be in line for an increased role and push past the 14 minutes he averaged in 2022-23.
“He’s been amazing,” Terry Rozier said. “It’s no surprise, but it’s been talked about among all the peers about how great he’s been and how much time he’s put in this summer. And it’s just good to see. He’s one of the guys that never complained and always trying to get better since he came in the league.
“He never complained about things, always took things as a challenge and got better every day. And it’s now starting to show. And that’s all you can ask for in this league, is you try to get as much as you can out of it and then when your time comes you are ready for the opportunity. And I think it’s going to be a good year for him.”
Thor is a tireless worker, often being among the last to leave the practice court after firing off extra jumpers to hone the shot Ball seemed to have down pat. He thinks he’s found the recipe to improve his personal success.
And he stumbled on it almost unknowingly, thanks to an injury that cropped up in April, causing him to hang around the Hornets’ training facility more often than he probably anticipated.
“My goal was to be consistent throughout the offseason and just carry it over from the end of last season to all the way now.” Thor said. “Because I had a calf strain that I was dealing with, so when I was getting in the weight room and getting in the gym every day, that consistency got me better. So, I’m just going to keep sticking with that.”
Noticeably bigger, the 6-foot-7 Thor is still listed at 210 pounds — the same mark the Hornets had him at during his second season. But it’s obvious he’s doing more than simply lifting a few dumbbells.
Veins are popping out all over Thor’s arms and legs, evidence he’s putting in the time to gain an advantage against his opponents. In total, he added up roughly 10 pounds before cutting it down to “about six, seven pounds.”
If he wants to become a true two-way player and lock in on both sides of the ball, bulking up and being in solid condition is a necessity.
“It’s pretty tough because you are guarding the best players night-in and night-out on defense and then using your energy to create plays for yourself and others on that end,” Thor said. “So, the more of a team player you can be, the more valuable you are to a team. So, that’s what I’m trying to be.”
Thor showed his worth toward the tail end of last season, connecting on a 3-pointer in a career-long 14 consecutive games and nailed 41.5% (22 of 53) beyond the arc during that stretch. He averaged 11 points and 4.6 rebounds during the five-game span, giving him something to grasp onto heading into the offseason.
“He spent so much time this summer with (assistants) Norm Richardson and Bruce Kreutzer working on his skills and his shooting, and you could see it (Monday) night (in Miami),” Clifford said. “And that’s how he’s been shooting it in practice also.
“And the thing about him is he gets into details, But at the end of last year, playing those minutes helped him because he was good with his discipline about the game plan.”
“He’s usually good about who he’s defending, taking away thief strengths. And you could see he’s growing because of his work ethic.”
Thor certainly appears to be carrying a different sense of belief, one that has him sure he can be a valuable piece for the Hornets this season by solidifying a ‘3-and-D’ type of role. Having the trust of the likes of Ball, Rozier and others isn’t something he takes lightly.
“It gives me great confidence,” Thor said, “knowing that I can find other ways to score and help my teammates be better by knocking down open shots. And then it opens up my game, too, so when they want to close out harder on me, I can get one or two dribbles to the rim, look for my teammates or look for a basket for myself.
“So, it’s all complimentary.”
