If Thomas Jefferson played basketball: small forward, rated 75

Thomas Jefferson as a basketball player: scouting report

Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence at thirty three, and he would play small forward the way he drafted: with a plan for every line. His basketball IQ is the top mark on his card, so he does not just run the offense, he designs it, knowing which cut opens which shot two passes from now. His playmaking is next, and it makes him a point forward who brings the ball up from the wing and initiates sets himself.

He was an architect in the literal sense. He designed his home at Monticello and the original grounds of the University of Virginia, which he founded, and a player who thinks in floor plans understands spacing better than anyone. He also played the violin, and that sense of rhythm shows in his timing on cuts and entry passes. His defense is respectable, built on reading the play rather than chasing it, and his shooting is a workable midrange touch. His personal library became the foundation of the rebuilt Library of Congress, so you can be sure his scouting files would be complete.

Athleticism is where the card dips, and rebounding is not much stronger, so he needs a physical power forward and an athletic center next to him. Give him the ball at the top of the floor and let him set the table. He slides to point guard with a modest drop and to shooting guard with a little more, so he works best as your primary creator from the forward spot. Draft him in the middle rounds as the architect of your second unit, a forward who builds the offense from the blueprint up and makes everyone around him look organized.

Plays like A thinking man's point forward who designs the offense

Put Thomas Jefferson in your lineup

8 rolls, a starting five and a bench, 82 games. Can you go 82-0? Free, no account.