(Photo by Kirby Lee)
A year ago, Isaiah Thomas was in the thick of the MVP conversation, leading the Boston Celtics towards the first seed in the Eastern Conference. One year later, Isaiah Thomas’ season has come to an end after being limited to just 32 games by a hip injury. What a difference 365 days makes.
During his MVP-level 2016-2017 season, Thomas made it clear that he expected a max contract, famously saying that “they better bring out the Brinks truck” (per CBS). However, a hip injury sustained during the 2017 season required lengthy rehab and made him expendable to the Boston Celtics, who shipped him to Cleveland as part of the Kyrie Irving deal. After a long, suspense-filled wait Thomas’ arrival in Cleveland fell flat, IT clearly both rusty and unable to gel with others in the Cavs’ locker room. Traded once again (this time to the Lakers) for his value as an expiring contract, Thomas’ prospects for a max deal, or any long-term deal for that matter, are essentially zero.
So going forward, what will happen with Isaiah Thomas? First, it’s worth remembering that he is a 5’ 8” guard who had an MVP-caliber season in the NBA. Thomas is clearly a hard worker and a special player--one who can score 53 points in a playoff game. His defense is terrible, but his offense can, if healthy, make up for it on the right team. Even this year, despite all the drama, he’s averaging 15.2 PPG, which is respectable.
The problem has been the nagging hip injury, which is a serious problem for an scoring-minded guard dependent on his quickness. This year, Thomas has clearly been off a step, something that is reflected in his abysmal shooting percentage (37% from the field; 29% from three-point range). Thomas’ sluggish play could be a permanent problem resulting from a combination of injury and age. However, it is also very possible that, with another offseason of recovery and a full training camp, Thomas could once again be a productive player. He will likely never repeat his two incredible seasons in Boston, but anything close would be a boon to whatever team signs him. Given his potential upside, Thomas is clearly worth at least a one-year deal, which appears to be the Los Angeles Lakers’ back up plan if (when) they miss out on LeBron James and Paul George.
Long-term, however, what would Thomas’ role be? If his time with the Celtics and Cavs has shown anything, it seems to me that Thomas can lead a very good team, but not a championship contender. Ultimately, a team built around a 5’8” guard has a ceiling in today’s NBA that isn’t an NBA championship. However, if he was amenable to the change, Thomas could have a future as a ridiculously productive bench player in the mold of Lou Williams or Jordan Clarkson. For a contender, depth is critical, and having a bench led by a proven scorer with a proven ability to run an offense could be lethal.
The Brinks truck will never come to Isaiah Thomas, but if he can come back truly healthy (a big if), then he could actually have a bright future in the NBA. From everyone here at Third and Long, we wish him the best.
(Statistics via basketball reference and ESPN)
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