Ive been hoping things would work out for Isaiah Thomas ever since he was traded from the Boston Celtics. I was hoping he would heal quickly, that he would be able to hide on the defensive end, and that his personality would be able to mesh well with his new teammates.
After a relative handful of games suiting up, it appears the results are mixed at best.
After only appearing in ten games this season, he’s averaging nearly 16 points per game on 39 percent shooting from the field and less than 30 percent from behind the arc. This is a far cry from the force of nature that averaged nearly 30 points per game for Boston last season.
Hes still trying to get back some of the quickness and lower body strength that made him one of the toughest players to say in front of just last season. From a basketball perspective, Im sure his Cleveland teammates have plenty enough patience for him.
But theres more to basketball than simply playing the game. As is the case with all human interactions, chemistry is an underappreciated key to harmony.
It seems like Thomas has been more talkative than ever before. First, he made sure to let the world know how he felt about Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics after being traded for Kyrie Irving. Now, every time you turn around, were hearing something about Thomas saying one thing or another.
Chris Broussard reacts to Isaiah Thomas issues with Kevin Love in Cleveland | UNDISPUTED
Chris Broussard joins Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe and Joy Taylor to discuss reports surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers that the ‘heated’ meeting about Kevin Love started with Isaiah Thomas.
Back in March 2017, when he was still a Celtic, the point guard had to come out and clarify what appeared to be an instance of him throwing his teammates and coach under the table after the team suffered two straight losses.
Heres a quote pulled from a story by Chris Broussard of Fox Sports, taking place just prior to Thomas departure from Beantown.
A lot of them were saying that a lot of the players in Boston really werent that fond of Isaiah, said Broussard. We know he had those problems in Sacramento and in Phoenix. I didnt know he was having those issues in Boston. He is known as a headstrong guy. Hes got a huge ego. They say hes got the Napoleon complex. Hes always got that chip on his shoulder.
Initially, that sounded like just another smear campaign, customary for any franchise looking to depart with a player. But, from what weve been hearing as of late, it looks like Thomas may not be everyones cup-of-tea.
In October, FS1 television personality Skip Bayless stated that he believed Thomas was alienating Cleveland fans. Again, nobody took the claim seriously. Bayless is always saying some off kilter stuff.
LeBron James, Isaiah Thomas & Kevin Love BIG 3 Highlights vs Pistons (2018.01.28) – 59 Pts!
LBJ 25 Pts 14 ast 8 reb, Thomas 14 pts 7 ast, Love 20 pts 11 reb Subscribe, Like & Comment for More! ——— Follow our Instagram: https://goo.gl/Syw81B Follow our Twitter: https://goo.gl/5aata7
Then, when Paul Pierce decided to speak out regarding the Celtics decision to pay homage to IT on the day of his jersey retirement, even though its highly unlikely that they would have aired any Isiah Thomas videos in The Truths presence, it was Thomas who felt he had to go on social media to decline. He could have gone to the Celtics, or he could have gone to Pierce himself. Instead, what does he do? He goes to social media to air his grievances.
Later, as is often the case when the Cavs beginning faltering, a team meeting is called. First, we hear that things have gone astray in said meeting. Then, we find out that Isaiah Thomas may have been the instigator behind the whole blow up, attacking Kevin Love for leaving a game sick after only playing three minutes.
Isaiah Thomas says he has no problem with Kevin Love
Isaiah Thomas dives into all the problems he’s having on the Cavs, and the ones he doesn’t. The interview took place on Jan. 27, 2018
Now, with the proverbial blood in the water, the mainstream media is circling IT like sharks around a shipwreck. Recently, he was benched in the 4th quarter after scoring 14 points and dishing out 7 assists in a win against the Detroit Pistons. Head coach Tyronn Lue told the media that he was looking to “separate” LeBron and Isaiah Thomas.
From a strategic standpoint, it would seem best to distribute firepower and players throughout critical junctures in the game. Thomas’ absence in the 4th quarter may have simply been a matter of strategy, but the media appears to have taken the default position that it is a negative thing.
The Cavaliers appear to be a castle ablaze, poor defense and a poor post-Christmas record aside, this team is not like those tough Cleveland squads from years past. Thomas would do his level best not to be an annoyance or distraction from here out, even if that means being coy and elusive when questioned on intimate team dynamics.
In the world of NBA2K and advanced analytics, team owners and general managers alike seem to believe that you can simply throw any ol piece together and expect for it things to work out. NBA basketball players are ego driven by nature. It is this singlemindedness that allowed each to overcome galactic odds to play professional basketball as a career.
Oftentimes, egos act as defense mechanism that are triggered whenever a perceived affront to ones own worldview manifests itself. At the end of the day, when all the talking and posturing is done, it helps to be able to know when to just keep quiet and let your play do the talking.
