Isaiah Thomas on Injury Return: Would 'For Sure' Be Ready for Nuggets Camp

Isaiah Thomas said he will "for sure" be healthy and on the court for the beginning of Denver Nuggets training camp in September.

Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post spoke to Thomas, who seemed undaunted by the recurring hip problems that have taken him from All-NBA second team in 2017 to accepting a minimum contract in the span of 14 months.

"I don't got nothing to prove. I just got to get healthy," Thomas said. "I get healthy, the world knows what I bring to the table. When I averaged 30, they doubted it then. So it doesn't matter. No matter how high or how low it gets, they're always going to doubt."

Thomas, 29, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip in March. He previously underwent surgery on the hip after suffering a labrum tear during the 2017 playoffs while with the Boston Celtics. Boston traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the Kyrie Irving blockbuster, a deal that did not work out for Cleveland.

Thomas lasted only 15 games with the Cavs before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He appeared in 17 games in Los Angeles before the surgery. In both stops, Thomas looked like a complete shell of himself, dealing with lingering issues with the hip and an adjustment in his role.

The Celtics allowed him to dictate their offensive flow, while the Cavs and Lakers each expected him to play a more secondary role. After averaging 28.9 points his final season in Boston, Thomas saw his scoring average drop nearly in half (15.2) and he shot a career-low 37.2 percent from the floor. 

Thomas said he's not worried about potentially coming off the bench in Denver. The Nuggets have a rising young point guard in Jamal Murray who will almost certainly begin the season as their starter. Thomas said his main goal is making the playoffs. 

"Be a playoff team," Thomas said of his aspirations. "That's the goal. They were one game from the playoffs [last year]. I'm just there to help, in any way I can possibly help. I know [head coach] Mike Malone trusts who I am, as a player and a person, and he's going to give me the opportunity, and I'm going to take advantage of it."

The arthroscopic surgery is less invasive than the one he had a year prior, so it's possible Thomas is finally back to 100 percent in Denver. However, the regular recurrence of hip injuries makes it seem like a 50-50 bet at best that he'll return to All-Star form.