One week ago, on a cold, wet Wednesday night in Philadelphia, two brothers from the suburbs climbed into the nosebleed section of the Wells Fargo Center to watch their favorite professional basketball teams play.

The New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Wait, really?

Yes, really. And here's the thing; this game was fun! The Knicks had just come off a glorious win over the New Orleans Pelicans, which broke their franchise record 16-game losing streak. The Sixers had just come off a 35-point loss courtesy of the Washington Wizards. So, the Knicks had a chance. Excitement was in the air, and orange and blue shirts dotted the stands.

While watching their teams warm up, chucking up jumpers, stretching themselves out, one of them noticed something.

"Besides Melo, I don't recognize any of the players on the Knicks," said one of the brothers.

This was until the game of the week began, and number 42, Lance Thomas, graced the Philadelphia hardwood and started making plays.

Lance started this season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, replacing the injured Kevin Durant in the starting lineup for 13 games and quite simply giving OKC another body to use as their injured players found time to heal. This was the first time Thomas had played significant minutes in an NBA game, playing 16-plus minutes for the Thunder in every game in November, only to be exiled to the bench for the rest of his Oklahoma City career.

So, how did Lance get here? A young NBA journeyman, Thomas has played for three teams in his first four seasons in the NBA, and he couldn't even make his professional debut until 65 games in the D-League.

But before all this, Thomas was scrapping and bruising for Duke, where in his senior year, he won a National Championship.

Wait, what?

Yup. Remember that crazy Duke-Butler championship game in 2010? That beautiful, incredible basketball game that ended with Gordon Hayward nearly banking in a half court heave to win it all?

Lance Thomas played 35 minutes in that game.

Thirty-five! Really? It seems as if no one knows Lance even went to Duke, where he never averaged more than five points per game in a season. Instead of affecting games with jump shots and dribble moves, he would soar for rebounds, poke out steals, and smack layups into the abyss with his 7'3'' wingspan. And, he was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team in his senior year, ending his college career with a solid achievement, but it didn't lead to him hearing his name called in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Now, almost five years after that National Championship game and after bouncing around the D-League, the Summer League, and being one of the so called "nobodies" in the trade that sent J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dion Waiters to the Thunder, Thomas seems to have found a home. And it's not far from his hometown of Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

Thomas has played only seven games for the New York Knicks, but the difference he is making while on the floor is already clear.

He brings movement, cuts, spacing, smart passing, and a defensive mind that the Knicks have needed for a long time coming. The Knicks haven't seen any of this all season long. Every game, it would take them 10 seconds to run their "play," only to have any player throw up some 17 footer while being draped by defenders.

Watch how much better the Knicks' spacing is with Thomas on the floor, and forget the fact that about 20 seconds into this video, he proceeds to travel about 16 times before rolling a runner into the hoop. Using Thomas, whether it be as a stretch 4 or at the classic small forward position, has allowed the Knickerbockers to space the floor, creating the best passing lanes they've had all season. Not only that, but Lance uses these lanes to his own advantage, swiftly striding his way for cuts to the basket, where he can employ his length and strength to finish shots in the paint.

This is a guy the Knicks need. A lanky ball of energy that can defend multiple positions, cut to the basket, and play team basketball. The thing is, Thomas is primarily a small forward, the same position as Carmelo Anthony, but Coach Derek Fisher has found a way to bring Thomas off the bench and play him for 26 minutes a game. This is a time where the Knicks need to prepare for the future. Sure, they need to scout draft prospects and come Draft day, they need to pick their youngsters smartly, but they also need to play their younger guys and see if they have a future with the team.

Lance Thomas surely has a future with the Knicks. He has waited long enough; he's 26 years young and has found a system where he is beginning to thrive and with him on the roster, the Knicks have won four of their last six games.

With the help of Thomas and Langston Galloway, the Knicks are becoming fun again, and every Knick fan wants to see the team improve and hopefully contend in the near-ish future. Lance Thomas can be a big part of that; if he plays hard on defense and scraps away at opposing big men, Lance can be a difference-making piece the Knicks have been searching for.

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About the author
Elijah Ackerman
Born and raised in suburban Philadelphia, but I root for New York sports teams (thanks to my Dad). I currently attend Muhlenberg College, and my favorite sports to watch and play are basketball and baseball.