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The Charlotte Hornets signed Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract. Thomas will help this team generate some offense off the bench alongside Montrezl Harrell and Kelly Oubre. There are times when the Hornets' offense does go cold for long stretches throughout the game. Bringing in another offensive minded guard should help them break some of those cold shooting slumps throughout the game.
For a team that still has a hope to make it into the postseason, this Isaiah Thomas signing for this young team and here's why.
Isaiah Thomas will help turn Hornets around
Instant offense
Isaiah Thomas was once a top-5 finalist for the MVP award back in 2017. He was averaging 29 points back then and was also Mr. Fourth quarter, averaging 10 points in the final period for a bulk of the 2016-17 season. Yeah, he has bounced around the league after his hip injuries, but he's shown he can still put the ball in the hole. In three games for the Denver Nuggets G-League affiliate, Thomas was averaging 41 points per game. It should be clear to everyone that he doesn't belong in there. He still has the right stuff to put up numbers if given the opportunity.
With this Hornets team, he'll be playing with other good players off the bench. Harrell and Oubre were mentioned, but he will have the chance to get run with starters to give other guys a breather like Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball. Thomas is a straight up professional scorer and his game can mesh well with pretty much any offense.
The more veterans the better
All season long, the Hornets have been dubbed as the young team that is still trying to figure it out. Two of their best players in Ball and Bridges are still under the age of 25, so it makes sense. They do have other veteran guys surrounding them though, but none of them may be as seasoned as Thomas. He'll come to this team and be looked at as a respected veteran. Finishing top-five in MVP voting is hard to do in this talented pool of players that are in the league today. Not to mention, he was on winning Boston Celtics team that was considered a contender during his tenure there. The point is, Isaiah Thomas knows how to win basketball games.
Plus, he knows how to lead a team. That can be huge for the development of LaMelo Ball. Ball is the face of the franchise and could potentially be in MVP talks himself in few short years. Getting the chance to learn from a guy that has been through the gauntlet will be huge for Ball, even if it is for 10 days. Oh yeah, he also played with Rozier in the past as well, so that'll be a cool reunion to watch in Charlotte.
Motivated IT
The season is winding down day by day and the Hornets have been sinking in the playoff standings. The Hornets had to do something to add some more life to their young roster. They have lost 11 of their last 13 games. Adding another motivated presence should do this team more harm than good. Thomas has had a couple of stops with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks this season, but he never got another 10-day deal. It's a safe bet that he has been hungry for another shot.
Meanwhile, the Hornets have been trying to fix a lot of different issues they have faced in their losing streak. Both parties should be a hand and glove fit. On one side, Thomas has been busting his you know what for another opportunity in the NBA, while the Hornets playoff hopes seem to be fading. Both sides can benefit greatly off of one another.
Although the Hornets main problems have been the lack of front court depth, but failing to score the ball for more than three minutes is alarming. Hopefully, Thomas can help this team keep a flow offensively. There is less than 20 games remaining in the regular season. Maybe Isaiah Thomas can find his footing again with this young team in Buzz City. Hats off to the Hornets organization for taking a chance on IT as well. Good to see him back again.
