Al Thornton is showing some veteran skills and making his case to be named to the All-Rookie Team.

All season long, Al Thornton has been quietly making his case to be named to the All-Rookie team, but with his recent monster games, the Los Angeles rookie might just be making a late run for the Rookie of the Year award.

In the past three games (as of April 2nd), the Los Angeles forward has scored 86 points, including a career-high 39 points in a 110-97 win over Memphis on March 29th. The offensive explosion by Thornton against Memphis – 20 of his 39 points were in the fourth quarter – put the league on notice that a new young star had arrived. And just as important as any stat that game, his offensive outburst helped snap a 10-game losing skid.

When Chris Kaman [http://inside.nikebasketball.com/news/2007/11/19/the-family-chris-kaman/], who was having a stellar season himself, went down with an ankle injury that meant more of the scoring load fell on Thornton’s shoulders. He responded immediately. With an arsenal of veteran offensive moves and the ability to create shots in so many ways down low, he’s become a matchup nightmare for defenses.

Averaging over 16 points and six rebounds a game in February and March, when he saw his playing time increase, he’s brought up his season scoring average to 12.5 points a game. Thornton knew that if he just got his time, he would definitely shine.

“I’m getting a chance to play and get a lot of experience,” said Thornton. “It doesn’t happen with most rookies, but you get to play out there and make mistakes, and I think it’s paying off for me in the later part of the season.”

And he’s not just content to fill it up on the offensive end. He’s been able to shut down opposing forwards with his quick positioning and leaping ability. It’s the type of all-around game Los Angeles wanted when they drafted him with the first round 14th pick of the 2007 NBA Draft.

With the return of team leader and superstar Elton Brand to the court, LA could have one of the most dynamic forward tandems in the league.

“Elton is one of the top 15 players in the league,” said Thornton. “Next year I think we will definitely be a playoff force.

Whether it’s tying a team record for points in a game by a rookie, or locking down the opponent’s best post player, Al Thornton has proven that he will be force to be reckoned with for years to come.