Hollis Thompson was the Physical Embodiment of “The Process” for 256 Games and Lived to Tell the Tale
Over three and a half seasons, he played in 256 games for an organization making the most concerted, sustained tanking effort in NBA history.
The 76ers record over those 256 games?
50–206. Ouch.
Players came and went: undrafted rookies pursuing a dream, washed out veterans trying to keep that dream alive, and everyone in between. They came, they played, they left.
They were interchangeable parts, occupying minutes and keeping seats warm for the elite NBA Draft talents of tomorrow. Their performance was of little consequence, and their future was unlikely to take place in Philadelphia.
One player, though, stuck around. Then, he stuck around again. And again.
Nobody played in more games for the Philadelphia 76ers over the last three seasons than Hollis Thompson. Yet, “the Process”, with which Thompson became synonymous, was never intended for him. It was intended for those that would follow. So, after 256 games, the Sixers waived their longest tenured player to clear roster space, create flexibility, and begin climbing from the depths of the Process cellar.
What did a roster filler for the league’s intentional bottom feeder accomplish? What did an afterthought do with his chance to make a name for himself?
It turns out, a lot more than you might realize.
Hollis Thompson ranks seventh in 76ers franchise history in career three point field goals. In career three point percentage, he ranks fifth, having shot 39% during his tenure with laudable consistency throughout.
Process or not, Hollis Thompson is one of the greatest three point shooters in 76ers history.
Okay, I chuckled a bit — it’s hard to say with a straight face. If you hit 357 threes at a 39% clip over three and a half seasons, and nobody saw it or remembers that it happened, does it even count?
Yes, actually.
Sure, the 76ers didn’t always face the opposition’s “A-Team”, and no, there wasn’t a volume scorer on the 76ers roster that demanded the bulk of the shots. The stars aligned for Thompson to carve out a niche. For an undrafted player with one discernible NBA-caliber skill, he more than took advantage.
We’ve all been there. Maybe you tossed a water bottle in the air and it landed perfectly, first freakin’ try. Maybe you hit a circus hook shot from half court, Billy Hoyle style. Maybe you caught a piece of popcorn in your mouth from death-defying heights. Regardless of what our individual “talents” may be, we’ve all done something impressive only to realize that nobody was watching. We’ve also had our friends rag on us when we insist upon the spectacle that they missed.
The only difference in this metaphor is that Hollis Thompson’s talent was a real one, shooting threes, and his “friends” are collectively the NBA community. He shot 40%. He knows it, but most are seemingly content to live in a world where that never actually happened.
When Thompson was waived, I expected that a 6'8 sniper who hits threes at a consistent 40% clip would quickly find a home in today’s NBA. Alas, the stink of the Process is resilient.
Like a drunk yuppie contemplating a hot dog purchase from the street vendor outside the bar, teams seemingly took a look at Thompson and, though enticing, considered the source and thought, “eh, better not”.
No matter. He plied his trade for eight games with the D-League’s Austin Spurs. The result? 17 points a game on 50/48/81 shooting.
It was enough to convince the Pelicans to sign Thompson to a 10 day contract to assist in filling a void left by Buddy Hield, he of future Stephen Curry fame, among others.
To date this season, Hield is shooting 37% from three (equivalent to Thompson’s percentage to date) and 39% from the field (below Thompson’s 42%). I don’t mean to suggest that Thompson is comparable to Hield offensively, as he boasts nowhere near the level of scoring versatility and is the beneficiary of a wealth of NBA experience. Still, for a team that suddenly expects a surplus of open looks from deep as its two-headed big man monster commands the unwavering attention of defenses league-wide, the Pelicans could do a heck of a lot worse than Hollis Thompson as a plug-and-play option.
There were legitimate reasons that he went undrafted and legitimate reasons that the Sixers waived him. His 10 day contract may not get extended. Hell, he may not see the floor. If he does, though, Hollis Thompson is probably going to can threes at a 40% clip. He may not do much else, but for an undrafted player that built a career in relative NBA anonymity, that’s okay.
Trust the Process.
It might not work for the 76ers, but for Hollis Thompson? Trust the Process, indeed.
(Update: The Pelicans gave Thompson a second 10 day contract and even handed him multiple opportunities in the starting lineup. He shot nowhere near 40%. Whoops. Back to the G-League he goes for now.)
