Who Is Marcus Thornton?

Mar 11, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Marcus Thornton (23) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 106-97. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

For 6’4 marksmen Marcus Thornton, the vigorous journey of playing professional basketball in the NBA has been a long one. Thornton was traded to (at the time) New Orleans Hornets upon being drafted 43rd overall by the Miami Heat. Since then, Thornton has played with 5 different teams in 6 season before signing with the Houston Rockets this off season.

The NBA journeyman has shown his uncanny ability to catch fire from the perimeter on some nights and go completely ghost on most nights for each team he’s played for. From bombarding the Pacers for 42 points to connecting on 4 three’s in 9 attempts under 19 minutes, Thornton’s shooting hysteria has been a league wide phenomenon since entering.

In comparison, Thornton reminds me a lot of my friends who play pick up, most of them couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. But once every blue moon they’ll play like the second coming of Billy Hoyle.

Thornton’s uncanny ability to catch fire on any random night has kept his name in NBA relevancy. Teams who have embraced the movement of advanced data analysis have found Marcus to be an intriguing player, one who would fit their system perfectly.