Isaiah Thomas is now experiencing what it's like to have a full-time bench role, much like his now-teammate Will Barton endured through the early part of his tenure with the Denver Nuggets after coming in a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2015.

The 5-foot-9 dynamo was once an established starter with the Boston Celtics and ranked third in scoring in 2016-17, but an unfortunate injury derailed his direction, forcing him to step back and prove his worth once again.

“That’s the thing with sports and the team, man, (is that) you’ve got to figure out a way. I feel like no one is selfish,” said Barton when talking about his teammate, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. “IT (Thomas) has a reason to feel the way he does. He was an All-Star. He took his (Boston) team to places. He has a right to feel that way. It’s how you go about it that makes it either going to be a problem, or for the best for the team.”

Much like Thomas, Barton was also a super-sub once, one trying to prove his worth and mettle to coach Mike Malone, one he was eventually able to negotiate upon signing a four-year, $54 million deal to return to the team this summer.

“I felt like for years, I should’ve been starting on this team,” said Barton. “My numbers suggested that. We played well when I started, but I didn’t start. I could’ve been negative and said, ‘Fuck it, every time I get in the game I’m going to shoot and show these motherf***ers.’ But no, I say, ‘I’m going to prove I’m a starter by playing the right way and producing and helping us win.’”

Barton has made himself into a reliable 3-point shooter, honing the only clear flaw in his game upon breaking into the league. He noted he chose the right approach in his long quest for earning a starting spot.

“So you’ve got two ways to go about it. Either you’re going to say ‘I’m still for the team first,’ and go out there and play hard and say, ‘I came to show why I should be wherever I want to be,’ or you can say, ‘F*** it, I’m going to be selfish and I’m going to go out there and just play for me,’” the 6-foot-5 wing put it clearly after years as the team's sixth man. “Now you have to decide what you’re going to do. Me, I’m always going to decide that I want to win, and control what I can control.”

Thomas has once again found it difficult to regain his previous glory as an all-out scorer, but his future in the league very much hinges on his ability to make the most of his situation and prove teams he still deserves to be part of an NBA roster.