If you have been following any offseason NBA news, then you likely know that Isaiah Thomas dropped 81 points in a Jawsover Pro-Am game. Regardless of what type of league or the talent involved, you cannot deny that one person scoring that many points in a game is nothing short of amazing. Perhaps it is the start of a great comeback story Thomas. Perhaps that comeback story involves the Los Angeles Lakers.
How quickly we forget that at one time Thomas was an NBA star and a threat to opposing teams. Maybe he never fully got the recognition and respect he deserved at the time but there is no denying that he was one of the main stars in the NBA from 2014-2017.
During that time, he led the Celtics in scoring each year and helped them get to the playoffs all three years. The Boston Celtics went as far as to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016-17 where they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In that same season, he was third in the NBA in scoring averaging 28.9 points per game and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. He was also named to the NBA All-Star Game two times. Things sure were going great for him and then came that horrible hip injury.
Since that time, Thomas has bounced around the league to various different teams (one of them being the Lakers of course). He has been diligently working on getting back to where he was in the NBA as he has worked hard to get healthy and get another chance.
He showed what he still can do in this current Pro-Am basketball game. To be quite honest, I think he still has a lot left in his tank, as he is still relatively young at age 32.
Signing him would be a low-risk move for the Los Angeles Lakers.
It would also be a smart move because he is a veteran that has the experience of what it takes to play in this league. Thomas would be around a very talented team where his efforts would be greatly appreciated. With all that he has overcome, perhaps having him would be a very positive thing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
I recently heard a wonderful interview with Isaiah Thomas on the podcast, All The Smoke, hosted by NBA veterans Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. It was one of the better interviews I have heard on that show as Thomas tells of his struggle back to the NBA.
The hip injury nearly derailed his entire career. He also talks about his struggles coming out of high school where he was sort of looked down upon because of his height.
I really hope the Lakers take the chance on Isaiah Thomas. He has many things going for him such as the fact that he played with LeBron in Cleveland if only for a short time and was a Laker in 2017-18 also for a short time.
Also, in 2019-20, he averaged 12.2 points per game while playing for the Washington Wizards. He also started 37 out of 40 games that season. Now with his hip healed, and his latest performance, why wouldn’t the Lakers give him a shot?