Denver Nuggets guard Isiah Thomas and Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard have become two of the most interesting men in the NBA over the past year. Their similarities have a lot to do with respect to their health issues that greatly limited their ability to show up and play on the court in the 2017-18 season.
Thomas has been bugged by a problematic hip injury that led to a surgery last March, when he was still with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played in just 32 games last season, beginning the 2017-18 campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thomas didn’t play right away for the Cavs, as he underwent rehab to heal from his hip injury, but he did see play 15 games alongside LeBron James and company before he was traded to the Lakers in February.
Looking back at his personally tumultuous season, Thomas said during a recent appearance on the Tiki and Tierney that if he had another chance, he would not have forced himself back into action earlier, and instead would have opted to extend his recovery phase.
“If I could do it all over again, I wish I would have sat out a little longer for sure,” Thomas said. “But we could always play the what-if game.”
It is for the same reason why he identifies with what Kawhi Leonard had to go through during his final year in San Antonio. Leonard appeared in only nine games for the Spurs last season, as he nursed a mysterious quad injury that barely anyone seemed to have a complete understanding of.
“Kawhi Leonard, what he did is the right thing to do,” Thomas said. “He learned from my story. Everybody can hate or do whatever they say about Kawhi Leonard, but at the end of the day, he’s looking after himself. These teams, all they’re going to do is look out for themselves. When a player does it, everybody’s tripping out. It is what it is.
Now with the Nuggets, Thomas will look to recover the deadly form he had during the 2016-17 season with the Boston Celtics.
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