Why Isaiah Thomas Is Not In The NBA
Contents
Isaiah Thomas was an All-Star in 2017 and led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, he is now out of the NBA. Why?
Isaiah Thomas’s Career
Isaiah Thomas was a star in the NBA for many years. He was an All-Star, and he won a championship with the Boston Celtics. However, he is not currently in the NBA. Why is this?
His time with the Celtics
During his two and a half seasons with the Celtics, Thomas became an All-Star and won gold as a member of Team USA at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. However, he was never able to lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals, and his time with the team came to an end when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017.
His time with the Cavaliers
Isaiah Thomas’s time with the Cavaliers was short-lived, and it’s easy to see why. After being traded from the Celtics, Isaiah Thomas was never able to find his footing with the Cavaliers. He played in only 15 games for the Cavaliers, averaging 14.7 points per game on a career-low 36.1 percent shooting from the field. The Cavs were also a much worse team when Thomas was on the court, getting outscored by 7.4 points per 100 possessions. In the end, it was clear that Thomas wasn’t a good fit for the Cavs, and he was eventually waived by the team.
His time with the Lakers
It wasn’t exactly the homecoming that Thomas was hoping for. The Lakers acquired Thomas in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers in February, but he didn’t play a single game for his new team due to injury. He was eventually traded again, this time to the Denver Nuggets, and was recently waived by the Nuggets. So what happened?
Thomas signed a one-year deal with the Lakers last summer, but he was never able to get on the court due to a hip injury that he had been dealing with for some time. He played in just 32 games for the Cavaliers last season before being traded to the Lakers, and he averaged just 14.7 points and 4.5 assists per game.
The Lakers had hoped that Thomas would be able to provide a spark off the bench, but his hip injury never healed properly and he was never able to get on the court. It’s a shame, because Thomas is a two-time All-Star and was once one of the best point guards in the league. However, his career has been derailed by injuries over the past few years and it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see him return to All-Star form.
Why Isaiah Thomas Is Not In The NBA
Isaiah Thomas was one of the best basketball players in the world. He was an All-Star and led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals. However, he is now out of the NBA. What happened?
Lack of production
Isaiah Thomas’s production has been on the decline since he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017. In his first season with the Cavs, Thomas averaged just 14.7 points and 4.5 assists in 27 games. Those numbers dipped even further in his second season with the team, as he averaged 11.5 points and 3.1 assists in 21 games. The Cavs traded Thomas to the Los Angeles Lakers in February of 2018, and he was subsequently waived by the team a few months later. Since then, Thomas has struggled to find a new NBA home, bouncing around from the Denver Nuggets to the Washington Wizards to the New Orleans Pelicans. He is currently a free agent.
There are several reasons why Thomas’s production has dipped so dramatically over the past few years. First and foremost, he is simply not as good a player as he once was. He is now 29 years old and has dealt with a number of serious injuries, including a torn labrum in his hip that caused him to miss most of the 2017-18 season. Secondly, Thomas is not a great fit for today’s NBA game. He is an undersized point guard who relies heavily on his scoring ability, but teams are now valuing players who can shoot from three-point range and play solid defense. Because of this, it’s become increasingly difficult for Thomas to find minutes on the court, let alone put up big numbers when he is out there playing.
Injuries
Isaiah Thomas suffered a serious hip injury in the 2017 playoffs that ultimately led to his trade from the Celtics to the Cavaliers. He was never able to fully recover from the injury and has not been able to find a spot on an NBA roster since then.
Age
Isaiah Thomas is not in the NBA because he is too old. At 29 years old, he is well past the prime of his career. Most NBA players retire in their early 30s, so it is unlikely that he will ever play in the NBA again.