Player Name: Isaiah Thomas (Boston Celtics)
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 5-foot-9, 185 pounds
Why you need to watch him on NBA League Pass: After being selected by the Sacramento Kings with the last pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Isaiah Thomas vowed to make the rest of the NBA rue the day they let him drop to that final spot. It didn’t take long — Thomas was the Western Conference rookie of the month by February, 2012.
But even with quick success in Sacramento and then in Phoenix after signing a big deal as a free agent, Thomas didn’t find the perfect fit for his game until last February’s trade to the Boston Celtics. It was there that Thomas stepped into a sixth man role and flourished, averaging 19 ppg in those final 21 games and leading the Celtics into the postseason. For a team that mostly had designs on the Draft lottery before his arrival, Thomas managed to accelerate expectations.
In a league that increasingly values spacing and ball-movement, Thomas has found his niche playing a ball-heavy style of play. Thomas is at his best with the ball in his hands, where he can create either for himself or his teammates. Although he’s under six feet tall, he’s great at getting to the rim and, in turn, earning trips to the free throw line.
The Celtics may still be searching for a superstar to build their franchise around long-term, but in the meantime, Isaiah Thomas has proven that, at least in his book, sometimes the last shall be first
— Lang Whitaker
