Tempering Expectations for the Return of Isaiah Thomas
Tempering Expectations for the Return of Isaiah Thomas
Written by Kevin Nye (@kevinpnye) on 01 January 2018
Written by Kevin Nye
(@kevinpnye) on 01 January 2018
It's official, Isaiah Thomas is back to playing basketball. This time it's for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now let's try to be realistic about this.
It's official, Isaiah Thomas is back to playing basketball. This time it's for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now let's try to be realistic about this.
It's happening. Isaiah Thomas's first game as a Cleveland Cavalier will be against Portland on Tuesday night in Cleveland. Thomas, a 2nd-team All-NBA guard last year, hasn't played since the conference finals against these same Cavaliers, and the coverage surrounding his hip injury has been endless.
What's important for Cleveland fans is to have realistic expectations about what Thomas's return will do for the Cavs.
At his best, Thomas is an offensive superstar. Last year he ranked in the top 10% of all NBA players in scoring efficiency on pick and rolls, spot ups, and isolations. No single player has ranked above in him all three categories, showing the versatility - and effectiveness - of his attack.
However, by his own admission, IT is not ready to become that guy again on day one. According to Cleveland.com, Thomas said last week that "having a feel for the game and having that kind of basketball rhythm? That's going to take a little bit of time." As a viewer, this means not being upset when Thomas checks out of a game after only playing 16 minutes. It also means being OK with missed shots, bad defensive rotations, and sloppy ball-handling.
In the same media availability that prompted the "Isaiah will play tomorrow" news, the Cavs also made it clear that he'll come off the bench and be on a minutes restriction. He will also not play the following night in Boston. Cleveland is going to take it very easy with Isaiah Thomas and make sure that he's not piling up any unnecessary risks or stresses on his body.
Working an All-Star caliber player into the system will take time for the Cavaliers, even if it looks like they could use another shot-creator in a big way. Take a look at San Antonio since Kawhi Leonard returned from his offseason injury. The unequivocal superstar has played in six games. The Spurs are 2-4 in those six games. They are 23-8 in the games that Kawhi has sat out. The simple explanation is that the gameplan changes when your best player (or at least a stud player) returns to the lineup. It will be no different in Cleveland - there will be hiccups.
In a similar vein, Cavs fans have been up in arms about Tristan Thompson's production (or lack thereof) since his return from injury. They'll need to be a little more understanding of the time it'll take for Thomas to find his stride. It may take a week, it may take a month, and it may not happen at all. He's still healing in some sense, and patience is required.
Most importantly, Isaiah Thomas isn't in Cleveland to help them win on a random Tuesday in January. He's in Cleveland to help them win in June. Anything besides that is secondary.
It's happening. Isaiah Thomas's first game as a Cleveland Cavalier will be against Portland on Tuesday night in Cleveland. Thomas, a 2nd-team All-NBA guard last year, hasn't played since the conference finals against these same Cavaliers, and the coverage surrounding his hip injury has been endless.
What's important for Cleveland fans is to have realistic expectations about what Thomas's return will do for the Cavs.
At his best, Thomas is an offensive superstar. Last year he ranked in the top 10% of all NBA players in scoring efficiency on pick and rolls, spot ups, and isolations. No single player has ranked above in him all three categories, showing the versatility - and effectiveness - of his attack.
However, by his own admission, IT is not ready to become that guy again on day one. According to Cleveland.com, Thomas said last week that "having a feel for the game and having that kind of basketball rhythm? That's going to take a little bit of time." As a viewer, this means not being upset when Thomas checks out of a game after only playing 16 minutes. It also means being OK with missed shots, bad defensive rotations, and sloppy ball-handling.
In the same media availability that prompted the "Isaiah will play tomorrow" news, the Cavs also made it clear that he'll come off the bench and be on a minutes restriction. He will also not play the following night in Boston. Cleveland is going to take it very easy with Isaiah Thomas and make sure that he's not piling up any unnecessary risks or stresses on his body.
Working an All-Star caliber player into the system will take time for the Cavaliers, even if it looks like they could use another shot-creator in a big way. Take a look at San Antonio since Kawhi Leonard returned from his offseason injury. The unequivocal superstar has played in six games. The Spurs are 2-4 in those six games. They are 23-8 in the games that Kawhi has sat out. The simple explanation is that the gameplan changes when your best player (or at least a stud player) returns to the lineup. It will be no different in Cleveland - there will be hiccups.
In a similar vein, Cavs fans have been up in arms about Tristan Thompson's production (or lack thereof) since his return from injury. They'll need to be a little more understanding of the time it'll take for Thomas to find his stride. It may take a week, it may take a month, and it may not happen at all. He's still healing in some sense, and patience is required.
Most importantly, Isaiah Thomas isn't in Cleveland to help them win on a random Tuesday in January. He's in Cleveland to help them win in June. Anything besides that is secondary.