Isaiah Thomas hasn't played a single minute for the Denver Nuggets this season, and yet the players on the team say they wouldn't be where they are right now if it wasn't for Thomas' leadership qualities.

Isaiah Thomas underwent arthroscopic hip surgery in March of 2018. The lefty signed a one-year free-agent deal with the Nuggets last summer.

So, what exactly has Thomas done to help Denver win 37 games entering Monday? Let them tell you themselves.

“We probably wouldn’t be this high along in the West if he wasn’t in our locker room,” point guard Monte Morris said of Thomas, via Sean Keeler of the Denver Post. “(He’s) giving us tips on guys he played and just knowing how to pull through. I look up to him a lot, not just because he’s at my position, just what he’s been through and everything. So we’re looking forward to having him back.”

“(He brings) a lot of leadership,” Nuggets swingman Will Barton said of Thomas. “A former All-Star. Scorer. A guy that can close games. Toughness. He’s just (been) on the big stage in big moments.”

“He’s the one who’s going to say something, too, like, ‘You’re not playing good. You need to step up,’ or something like that,” Nuggets center Nikola Jokic said. “I think that’s what veterans do, and that’s what he does.”

By all accounts, Thomas is close to making his season debut. The two-time All-Star is going to make the Nuggets' offense even more dangerous.