Isaiah Thomas watch
- Thread starter sdballer
- Start date
Bull, you can keep telling yourself that, but remember you are defending the very FO that tore this team to shreds this season and is being ran like a circus. They will leak any information, true or false that will save their own jobs, and that has been proven. For all we know Malone loved IT, and that is the reason the Gerbil didn't even meet with IT to discuss a return, he knew he was going after Malones head at the first chance to save his own hide. Just keep believing the BS this FO spews though, be a good little fan and support blindly.
He was traded once and then went on to spearhead a playoff run for the Celtics, while we gloriously got to 29 wins by beating the LA Dfenders twice and having to cling to things like Sauce Castillo and David Stockton to keep our sanity in this joke of an organization. But yeah, keep blaming IT for holding back the mighty Sacramento Kings. LMFAO!
It's pretty clear that Cousins did not care much for IT and that alone is a no-brainer.
Also it is pretty clear that IT ripped apart Phoenix, would not accept the 6th man role, and is playing for his 3rd team in 2 seasons. He had a honeymoon period in Phoenix too. If Ainge is smart he will buy low and sell high on IT.
Also it is pretty clear that IT ripped apart Phoenix, would not accept the 6th man role, and is playing for his 3rd team in 2 seasons. He had a honeymoon period in Phoenix too. If Ainge is smart he will buy low and sell high on IT.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11204750/isaiah-thomas-sacramento-kings-dealt-phoenix-suns
get over your boy crush on IT. he no doubt has talent but his ego wouldn't allow him to make further progress in the kingdom
get over your boy crush on IT. he no doubt has talent but his ego wouldn't allow him to make further progress in the kingdom
i always maintained that i would have welcomed thomas' re-signing if he was returned to a sixth man's role with the kings. it's the proper role for him, and it's one in which he excels mightily. he's playing well for boston since he was traded there; good for him. but the fact remains that brad stevens--lauded across the nba for the job he's done with his team--is still bringing IT off the bench, and he's doing so despite the fact that thomas could easily be considered the celtics' best player. i like marcus smart quite a lot. he's a gutsy talent who will give 100% on defense. but he's also inefficient and an awful shooter at this young stage of his career. yet stevens seems to understand that smart is their future at PG, and thomas will always be a dependable source of scoring off the bench...
the issue for the kings was that they had no future at PG, and no viable alternatives after they traded greivis vasquez, so they also had no choice but to start thomas, which proved to have an unfortunate impact on team chemistry. it never struck me as a coincidence that the kings began to flourish at the beginning of this season after making only a single change to their starting unit. with another training camp and offseason under mike malone, as well as a renewed focus, they competed nightly, particularly on the defensive end (which few would argue is IT's strong suit)...
but again, my earlier points in this thread stand regarding the inability of the kings' FO to exercise reasonable foresight. if they don't sign carl landry two offseason a ago, it becomes much easier to sign darren collison to become the starter this last offseason, and to re-sign IT in a sixth man capacity, as well...
the issue for the kings was that they had no future at PG, and no viable alternatives after they traded greivis vasquez, so they also had no choice but to start thomas, which proved to have an unfortunate impact on team chemistry. it never struck me as a coincidence that the kings began to flourish at the beginning of this season after making only a single change to their starting unit. with another training camp and offseason under mike malone, as well as a renewed focus, they competed nightly, particularly on the defensive end (which few would argue is IT's strong suit)...
but again, my earlier points in this thread stand regarding the inability of the kings' FO to exercise reasonable foresight. if they don't sign carl landry two offseason a ago, it becomes much easier to sign darren collison to become the starter this last offseason, and to re-sign IT in a sixth man capacity, as well...
Your sarcasm aside, you're totally and completely ignoring the point. IT didn't want to be a 6th man here. He repeatedly stressed his goal to be the starting PG no matter what. That's why he's gone.
Just be honest. IT will NEVER be the starting PG for a top tier team. He has a lot of value coming off the bench, and it appears as though he's finally realized that.
There are a lot of Kings fans who were totally willing to embrace him in a role playing scenario, but just didn't see him as a long term solution at the 1. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm happy for IT. I hope he can continue to be the role player and accept the role. If he can, he'll undoubtedly have a nice career in the NBA. It just didn't work out here.
Just be honest. IT will NEVER be the starting PG for a top tier team. He has a lot of value coming off the bench, and it appears as though he's finally realized that.
There are a lot of Kings fans who were totally willing to embrace him in a role playing scenario, but just didn't see him as a long term solution at the 1. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm happy for IT. I hope he can continue to be the role player and accept the role. If he can, he'll undoubtedly have a nice career in the NBA. It just didn't work out here.
Nailed it here. And Smart will likely struggle next year as good PGs need 2-3 full seasons to blossom in the NBA.
Which goes back to my previous point, has Stevens completely sold IT on this position for the duration of his contract or is he a great guy to have for this season and then get more in return for what you paid? Because if IT starts sulking that he is "better" than Smart next year and should be starting it is gonna get ugly in Boston.
And I like the Celts, so I really hope this doesn't happen.
Which goes back to my previous point, has Stevens completely sold IT on this position for the duration of his contract or is he a great guy to have for this season and then get more in return for what you paid? Because if IT starts sulking that he is "better" than Smart next year and should be starting it is gonna get ugly in Boston.
And I like the Celts, so I really hope this doesn't happen.
Here is the thing- we all know IT will thrive in a situation where he has to (and gets to) be the man. The IT who gets to play 32 minutes per game, leads his team in shot attempts, and plays the 4th Quarter was never the team chemistry problem. That IT is happy, motivated, and a pretty damn good player. That IT is capable of taking over a game, capable of getting hot and winning games, and capable of helping a team win 40 games in a terrible Eastern Conference where he gets to play NY, Detroit, Philly, Orlando, etc... 4 times each season. We saw prolonged flashes of that IT in Sacramento, and we know that version of IT can make a bad team decent, and a boring team fun to watch.
The problem is that IT is not good enough to be a number 1 option on a good team. He will do great as the leader of a plucky #7 seed that will lose in 4 or 5 to Cleveland. The question is that when Boston gets other pieces via free agency and the draft that are legit #1 players, is IT willing to step down and become the #3 option? He wasn't willing to play #3 option to DMC and Rudy. He wasn't willing to do so in Phoenix either.
Don't let the "buy in" to 6th man fool you. IT is the man in Boston. He might come off the bench, but he played 32 minutes last night (second behind Turner), has a green light to play 4th quarter hero ball, and led the team in FGA last night. He is the guy they go to when they need a hoop, 6th man status be damned. But when Boston acquires someone else who is better, someone else who is more equipped to be the man, and someone else who doesn't have the same holes in his game (whether a PG or another position), will IT be okay coming off the bench or playing second fiddle to that guy? History says no.
IT is happy if he is the man. He is the man right now in Boston. The cap for upside on a team where IT is the man is a middle tier playoff seed in the East with no hope of winning the title. A cap for upside on an IT led team in the West is to miss the playoffs. The cap for a team where IT is willing to buy in as the #3/#4 option is potentially limitless. Who knows if he will ever buy in.
But don't believe that his willingness to embrace the 6th man role is willingness to "take one for the team." The man is the de facto #1 option for the team, just like he likes it...
The problem is that IT is not good enough to be a number 1 option on a good team. He will do great as the leader of a plucky #7 seed that will lose in 4 or 5 to Cleveland. The question is that when Boston gets other pieces via free agency and the draft that are legit #1 players, is IT willing to step down and become the #3 option? He wasn't willing to play #3 option to DMC and Rudy. He wasn't willing to do so in Phoenix either.
Don't let the "buy in" to 6th man fool you. IT is the man in Boston. He might come off the bench, but he played 32 minutes last night (second behind Turner), has a green light to play 4th quarter hero ball, and led the team in FGA last night. He is the guy they go to when they need a hoop, 6th man status be damned. But when Boston acquires someone else who is better, someone else who is more equipped to be the man, and someone else who doesn't have the same holes in his game (whether a PG or another position), will IT be okay coming off the bench or playing second fiddle to that guy? History says no.
IT is happy if he is the man. He is the man right now in Boston. The cap for upside on a team where IT is the man is a middle tier playoff seed in the East with no hope of winning the title. A cap for upside on an IT led team in the West is to miss the playoffs. The cap for a team where IT is willing to buy in as the #3/#4 option is potentially limitless. Who knows if he will ever buy in.
But don't believe that his willingness to embrace the 6th man role is willingness to "take one for the team." The man is the de facto #1 option for the team, just like he likes it...
Isaiah Thomas, staying classy:
NBA Legion @MySportsLegion 1h1 hour ago
Isaiah Thomas on finishing 2nd for Sixth Man of The Year: "All I'm going to say is....numbers don't lie."
NBA Legion @MySportsLegion 1h1 hour ago
Isaiah Thomas on finishing 2nd for Sixth Man of The Year: "All I'm going to say is....numbers don't lie."
You guys are really working hard to be on the right side of history. Ghoulishly hoping for his failure so you can be vindicated.
Never understood the furor over IT. He's a good sixth man with a big ego, not a whole lot more to the story. I suspect it has to do with him pushing Evans out as the lead guard, which was never on him.
Never understood the furor over IT. He's a good sixth man with a big ego, not a whole lot more to the story. I suspect it has to do with him pushing Evans out as the lead guard, which was never on him.
While others insist that he's a starting PG. 
Who is in that camp? It's gotta be a pretty small camp.....
(Other than the IT haters, which are numerous and wouldn't want him on the team at all) I think most KF's just wish he could have worked out as a 6th man for the Kings.
It's a pretty big indictment of the front office (and heck - maybe even the players) that they couldn't work it out together.
But really - isn't that a recurring theme with these Kings?
"They just couldn't make it work out with Tyreke."
"They just couldn't make it work out with IT."
"They just couldn't make things work with Malone."
This franchise's inability to work with people may just be their biggest weakness.
K
Nope both teams had a winning record with him on it his last game for the Suns was Feb 10th and they were 29-25 and with the Celtics when he played were 14-7 (14-10 if you count playoffs), now I'm not a fan at all of IT but the guy's doing his job and actually helping his teams win despite all the other bullcrap.
So in fact he's putting up stats on two winning team (when he been there).
So in fact he's putting up stats on two winning team (when he been there).