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Isaiah Thomas has been dealing with a hip injury for quite some time, as most NBA fans know. In fact, he missed seven months of action last season due to the affliction, though he returned to play in January. After being traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Lakers, the former Washington Husky underwent an arthroscopic surgical procedure in February, which ended his season.
Doctors were able to remove some loose bodies in Thomas' hip during the procedure. He's been working hard towards recovery for four months now, and according to most reports, he'll be ready to suit up for his new team, the Denver Nuggets, at the start of training camp.
At one point in time, Thomas seemed to be on the fast-track to NBA prominence. Remember, this is the same man who averaged 29 points per game with the Boston Celtics. However, when he and his camp began looking for potential suitors this offseason, there weren't many takers. It seems as though teams around the league were a bit leary of his hip.
“People are scared of my hip now,” Thomas recently said in an interview with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. “I just had to be real with myself. I had to understand that it's not going to be about the money this summer. I've got to show people that I can play — and play at a high level again. And I will.”
Thomas, now 29 years of age, has seen both ends of the spectrum, so to speak. He was a two-time All-Star and Second Team All-NBA selection as a member of the Celtics. Now, however, he's been relegated to a backup role with the Nuggets.
Thomas split 32 games with the Cavs and Lakers last season (15 starts), averaging 15.2 points on 37.2 percent shooting from the field (29.0 percent from beyond the arc), 4.8 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 27 minutes per outing.
Though he's dealt with a lot of adversity in recent months, Thomas says he just wants to prove he can still play at a high level.
