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Isaiah Thomas is easily one of the best point guards in the NBA. As the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics, Thomas averaged 28.9 PPG and 5.9 PG, wile shooting 37% from deep. He was responsible for leading the Boston Celtics to the best record in the Eastern Conference. Thomas will become a free agent next summer, and some are discussing whether or not he deserves a max contract. In relevance to his stats and his impact, there is no question that he deserves max money. However, historically, undersized points guards who are one-dimensional have never lived up to their worth.
Since his coveted free agency objective is in doubt, here are 10 things that Isaiah Thomas needs to do earn a max contract. Hopefully, Thomas can prove his doubters wrong with an exceptional all-around play this year.
10. He needs to prove he can play with LeBron
There is no question that LeBron James is still the best player in the NBA. He simply makes everyone around him better. That's why it's a given that James will receive a max contract, maybe the highest in NBA history, no matter where he decides to go. Since Thomas is in Cleveland for the time being, it would be smart to learn how to play with LeBron James. In fact, his potential max contract could depend on it. James makes everyone better, so there is a way that he and Thomas could become a fearsome duo. If you have some doubts, remember the stellar duo of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James? There is a possibility that Thomas and James can replicate that success.
As a matter of fact, Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving are almost identical players. Both are scoring point guards that command the attention of any NBA defense. This can relieve the stress that James has to endure every night. With Thomas on the floor, LeBron James can do his thing. When defenses collapse on James, they'll have to suffer with a quick basket from Thomas. In theory, it could work very well, but it depends on if Thomas can work with the best player on the planet. After all, James has proved that he can work well with any NBA talent. Thomas still has a long ways to go in that regard.
9. He needs to prove that his hip isn't an issue
Isaiah Thomas was an exceptional player in the 2016-2017, so it was a bit disappointment when he was severely injured during the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Hip injuries are serious, especially for point guards. Therefore, Isaiah Thomas definitely has a major task on his hands. He needs to prove that he has moved past his injury. Interestingly, the Celtics traded Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving in the offseason. It was mainly because the Celtics needed a healthy point guard to continue competing in the Eastern Conference. They probably even had doubts about Thomas' long term health moving forward. Think about it. What team trades their star player right after they get injured? There had to be some speculation on the severity of Thomas' injury.
Right now, Thomas has a golden opportunity. He must prove that his injury is behind him. Of course, he will be on minutes restriction for a while, but he should be in the Cavaliers starting lineup before January is over. Is Thomas proves that all is well and goes back to his MVP style form, the Cavaliers will benefit tremendously and once again become a threat to the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. If he fails to do so, many teams will doubt whether a max contract is suitable for him. Thomas must show the NBA that he is one of the top point guards in the NBA, and he has the rest of the season to do it.
8. He needs to prove that his size doesn't matter
5 foot and 9 inches is a standard height among American men, but for a NBA point guard, he is undersized. In fact, Isaiah Thomas is one of the shortest players in NBA history. Many NBA teams will be hesitant to pay top money to an undersized point guard, and that's only because of one commonly believed stigma. That is simply the belief that teams shouldn't build around short point guards. Teams rarely build solely around point guards at all, unless it's Stephen Curry of Russell Westbrook. Hence, Thomas is going to have to change the perception of the NBA. He is going to have to change the stigma that undersized point guards don't deserve max money in six months, including the Playoffs. It can be done. It's just going to take some work.
That will start with Isaiah Thomas expanding his game to new heights. He is a star point guard, but getting complacent in his skills won't earn him a max contract. If he can show teams that his size doesn't matter, he will have teams breaking down doors to sign him this summer. We may even witness a 5'9 guard receive one of the largest contracts in NBA history.
7. He must win a title with the Cavaliers
It would be a stretch to make this a prerequisite for Thomas to earn a max contract. The Golden State Warriors are leagues ahead of everyone, and the Cleveland Cavaliers still don't really have what it takes to defeat them in a potential seven game series. In any case, if Thomas returns to his old self, he has what it takes to make a potential Finals match-up interesting. In fact, if the Cavaliers can somehow win a title this year and shock the world, it would stand to reason that Dan Gilbert would do everything he can to keep his championship team together. He did do it in 2016, giving more players big contracts than they deserved.
If the Cavaliers become the 2018 NBA champions, Thomas could get a max contract from the Cavaliers if he wants to stay. If not, not many teams will say no to an NBA champion, especially if he proved himself upon the NBA's grandest stage. This may just be the greatest qualification for Thomas to get max money this summer. Hopefully, he can live up to the challenge.
6. He needs to prove he can run an offense
If Isaiah Thomas is going to secure a big payday this summer, he is going to have to do something that no Cavalier is capable of. He's going to have to become the Cavaliers' second floor general. The Cavaliers are a great team, but that's only if LeBron James is on the floor at all times. When he sits, the Cavaliers suffer, but it doesn't have to always be this way. Isaiah Thomas can lighten the load on LeBron James by running the show and giving him a break. Kyrie Irving is a great player, and he is doing a great job as the starting point guard with the Boston Celtics. Nonetheless, no one could run the Celtics offense quite like Isaiah Thomas could. Thomas has experience running a fast offense, and that should be beneficial to the Cavaliers, especially if LeBron James needs a rest.
If Thomas can run the Cavaliers offense along with LeBron James, he will become an attractive commodity for many NBA teams in free agency. Players like LeBron James, who can run NBA offenses with a breeze, are coveted throughout the NBA. Thomas can definitely turn some heads if he can replicate some of Jame's offensive technique. He doesn't have to be just as good, but he does need to show teams that he can do more than score the ball.
5. He needs to be less vulnerable on defense
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Well, this is an understatement. Isaiah Thomas is one of the worst defenders in the NBA. His defensive plus and minus rating was a -3.3 last year. It has gotten even worse now, plummeting to a -13.3 rating in his first game. That's just horrible. No one is asking Thomas to become a brilliant defender overnight, or even by the end of the season. He just needs to try. Granted, a 5'9 point guard can't even hope to play stellar defense against other point guards. Still, one-on-one defense is just one area of the entire defensive metric. In fact, he has many options on the defensive end. He can play the passing lanes, or attempt steals on slower forwards and centers. Whatever the solution may be, Thomas has so much room for improvement.
Many people used to hound Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving for being below-average defenders, and each of them have become average defenders now. Isaiah Thomas can replicate the same improvement with a little effort. It is his gain. If he wants a max contract, he will have to prove that he isn't a liability on any end of the court, and that includes defense.
4. He needs to get his speed back
Isaiah Thomas is one of the fastest point guards in the NBA. There was some initial concern about his speed after his hip injury, and that still hasn't been quelled even after his first game. Speed is a weapon that can dominate the landscape of the NBA. Derrick Rose had it, Isiah Thomas had it, and Russell Westbrook has it. If you're fast, you can foil NBA defenses before they even develop. No one is sure if Isaiah Thomas still has the lightning-quick speed that made him a top point guard, but he still has time to show it.
Thomas can fit in the Cavaliers' offense by shooting and scoring like he used to, but if he is going to make any impact, his speed needs to come back. For teams to notice him, Thomas needs to shake that injury and dominate the offensive end like he did with the Boston Celtics. Teams will pay max money for a player who can change the game, regardless of their size or injury history. Leave it up to Isaiah Thomas to once again dazzle his offense by getting up and down the court in a hurry. Not only will the Cavaliers win more games, but Thomas will once again show the NBA that he is a MVP-worthy player. Right now, he has plenty of time on his hands, especially if the Cavaliers head to their fourth straight NBA Finals appearance.
3. He needs to make his teammates better
Isaiah Thomas isn't known as the type of player that LeBron James is. That's not a bad thing, but it's not uncommon among NBA superstar point guards. Stephen Curry is the most important player on the NBA's greatest team. He clearly makes his teammates better every night. Other NBA superstar point guards such as Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, and Damian Lillard are ideal players for their teams as well. When they step on the court, their teams benefit. If Thomas wants join the max contract conversation, he will need to step up his game entirely. That begins with making the plays to make his team succeed.
LeBron James is just enough for the Cavaliers to succeed, but the Cavaliers clearly need another playmaker. Thomas clearly doesn't have to develop a passing game like John all, but if he attacks on offense and make timely passes, he can essentially make the Cavaliers unstoppable on offense.
2. He needs to become a superstar
Let's get something understood. There are NBA stars and there are superstars. Players like Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson are stars. They are amazing players, who can contribute to any team. Superstars are a different mold. Players like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard are examples of superstar players. These players are among the best players in the NBA, and they can alter any team in the league. Isaiah Thomas was close to breaking the superstar barrier, but he fell short due to his injury. If he can guide the Cavaliers to success, he can rejoin the superstar club while earning a max contract along the way. To get there, he just has to prove that his play has only gotten better since his injury. Many players play for contracts that involve superstar qualifications – like MVP candidacy or reaching certain levels of scoring. Thomas is well capable of competing in that race.
1. He needs to stay healthy
Thomas is on route to coming back to 100%. Another major injury will stop him from progressing this season, and it will make teams thing twice before signing him to a max contract. Here is hoping that Isaiah Thomas can put his hip injury behind him and play the rest of this season healthy. After all, his hopes for a max contract may depend on it.
