Brilliant 2015-16 Season Cements Isaiah Thomas' Place in Boston Celtics' Future
BOSTON — Just over one year ago, Isaiah Thomas was a surprise trade deadline acquisition for the Boston Celtics, his third team in only eight months after being dealt away by the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, respectively.
One full season and an All-Star appearance later, Thomas is the face of the franchise. Literally.
On May 17, he'll join the ranks of Celtic legends who have served as the team’s NBA draft lottery representative, a list that includes luminaries such as Tommy Heinsohn, Jo Jo White and M.L. Carr.
Team ownership seems to be making a symbolic gesture by putting Thomas front and center for the occasion: In what could be an offseason of drastic changes, the point guard has cemented himself not only as an ambassador but as a foundational piece moving forward.
"Coming from where I'm from and the story I have, you'd never think I'd be asked to go represent an NBA franchise at the lottery," Thomas said last week. “It's a blessing for [team co-owner Wyc Grousbeck] to even ask me that."
What's more, the night could prove to be pivotal in shaping the team’s future. The Celtics hold the rights to the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected first-round pick at the draft lottery.
The Rapid Ascent
The Celtics have admitted there was some debate about acquiring the undersized 5’9’’ guard at the trade deadline in February 2015. Boston was 20-31 at the time of the deal, and team officials, including general manager Danny Ainge, viewed Thomas as a player who could limit the team’s lottery prospects for that season.
"Danny believed [in Isaiah]," Grousbeck told Felger and Mazz in an interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub (via CBS Boston). "Danny came and said, 'Should we get this guy? The contract is a fabulous contract. He can really play and he’s going to help us win some games right now.' We were looking at a lottery team then. Winning more games was a debate.
"We said, 'Yes, let’s do it, because we are going to be a better team for more years to come and be a better place for free agents to come.' We took a fork in the road and deliberately got better with Isaiah."
The speedster lived up to that expectation during the final months of the 2014-15 season, propelling Boston to a 20-11 record down the stretch and an unexpected playoff berth.
With the benefit of a full training camp acclimating him to Boston and head coach Brad Stevens’ system this year, Thomas reached even greater heights. He averaged a career-high 22.2 points and 6.2 assists over 82 games, one of six NBA players to clear at least 22 points and six assists this year.
The elite production with a mediocre supporting cast propelled Thomas to his first All-Star appearance and 48 regular-season wins for Boston. Those accolades surprised even some of his biggest fans.
"I don’t think anyone predicted All-Star," Grousbeck admitted to Felger and Mazz (linked above) when reflecting on the decision to acquire Thomas. "I don’t remember the phrase ‘All-Star’ coming up in that conversation."
An injury-riddled postseason for Boston against the Atlanta Hawks led to a disappointing first-round exit in six games, but the defeat was hardly an indictment on Thomas. Despite being hounded with double-teams for nearly the entire series, the 26-year-old averaged 24.2 points per game, the sixth-highest total for any player in a first-round series this postseason.
| Player | Points per game | Assists per game |
| Stephen Curry | 30.1 | 6.7 |
| James Harden | 29.0 | 7.5 |
| LeBron James | 25.3 | 6.8 |
| Damian Lillard | 25.1 | 6.8 |
| Russell Westbrook | 23.5 | 10.4 |
| Isaiah Thomas | 22.2 | 6.2 |
The extra focus the Hawks placed on slowing Thomas' offense gave him a valuable lesson.
"You can't do it on your own. That's probably the biggest thing I learned," Thomas said. "There's no way you can do it on your own. From the first guy that picked up a basketball to 2016—nobody can do it on their own. And then just how hard it really is to win playoff games and win a playoff series. It's not easy. I'm going to do whatever it takes to not have this feeling again because it really hurt me. I'm going to use that as motivation to continue to get better and work on my flaws and make those into my strengths. I promise you I'll be back better."
An Offseason of Uncertainty
Boston registered the worst shooting performance (38.4 percent) out of all 16 playoff teams in the first round. That's a talent issue.
Ainge clearly has plenty of work ahead of him to upgrade the team’s roster.
With a cabinet full of future draft picks, salary-cap flexibility and young players on affordable contracts at his disposal, Ainge has the necessary means to target star-type additions to his roster. On the surface, no pick or player would appear to be off-limits for a blockbuster deal.
“You never know how it might be out here,” Thomas said last week. “You never know. It’s just the business of the game. We don’t got no Michael Jordan in here. So anybody’s name can be in rumors. Anybody can be gone. But hopefully I can be here.”
While Ainge has always been notoriously open to dealing any player on his roster if the price is right, the way he talked about Thomas last month with Toucher & Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub (via CSNNE) makes it sound like the former No. 60 overall pick is a piece he wants to build around, not move.
“The challenge isn’t Isaiah,” Ainge said of Boston’s struggles against Atlanta. “The challenge is our shooting and spacing. As we get better shooting, as our players become better shooters, I think it is going to open up the court more for Isaiah.
“[Our struggles are] about the team and [Isaiah being] the focal point of a really good playoff defense in Cleveland last year and Atlanta this year. We need to get a better supporting cast around Isaiah.”
Despite Boston’s shooting woes (28th in NBA in three-point shooting), Thomas’ constant pace-and-attack mentality helped the Celtics overcome their warts and emerge as a top-10 team in offensive rating during the regular season. With the added benefit of some reliable scorers at different positions, Ainge appears sold on the fact that Thomas could continue to excel as one of the league’s best secondary pieces, on a bargain contract (signed through 2017-18 for $12.8 million total) to boot.
"Guys like Isaiah, with that talent, Danny's going to make sure he builds around it," Evan Turner told Jay King of MassLive.com. "As opposed to being done playing in April, I think Isaiah will have the opportunity one of these times to be done playing in June."
While Ainge will have a busy next few months determining which of his current pieces are worth investing in for the long haul, Thomas remains confident about being part of the team’s return to a contender instead of just a trade chip to help it get there.
"The greats are the greats for a reason," he explained. "Michael Jordan, Larry Bird—they weren't normal. I don't want to be normal either. I gotta figure it out. I do need my teammates to get to that next level. And I believe in those guys. I believe in Danny and whatever he's going to do this summer. We'll get a few more guys out here. We'll be a team that people are scared to play."
All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Brian Robb covers the Boston Celtics for Bleacher Report and CelticsHub. Follow him @CelticsHub on Twitter.
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