Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone had to do something very difficult last week. The 48-year-old coach had to tell Nuggets backup point guard Isaiah Thomas he was cutting the playing rotation and that the guard wasn't going to be part of it moving forward.
As expected, Malone says Thomas didn't take the news well and he didn't enjoy telling IT the message.
Isaiah Thomas missed the first 56 games of the season recovering from arthroscopic hip surgery. The former All-NBA guard played in just nine games with the Nuggets before Malone decided he was removing the two-time All-Star from the rotation.
Thomas averaged 8.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 37.3 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from beyond the arc and 63.2 percent from the free-throw line. The 30-year-old had a total of 15 assists and 16 turnovers.
It's unfortunate what happened to Thomas. He was one of the best players in the NBA during the 2016-17 season. IT averaged 28.9 points for the Boston Celtics that year. The hip ailment he suffered during the 2017 playoffs has changed Thomas' career forever.
The Nuggets enter Monday's matchup against the Celtics with a record of 46-22. They are in second place in the Western Conference. Maybe we'll see Thomas play versus Boston.
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