Throughout the summer of 2014, few players have garnered as much hype as point guard Eric Bledsoe. The two-way menace has gone from tantalizing the NBA with his potential to shocking it with his unemployment nearly two months into free agency.
While Bledsoe is certainly deserving of the attention, not enough focus has gone to his potential replacement: Isaiah Thomas.
Thomas, 25, is fresh off of a breakout season in which he averaged 20.3 points and 6.3 assists on a slash line of .453/.349/.850. Many will point to his 5’9″ height as a weakness, but he scored at a borderline elite rate with stunning efficiency.
Tell yourself whatever you’d like, just don’t stray from the truth. Thomas is the real deal.
Much like Bledsoe, Thomas’ standout performance was met with a surprising absence of appreciation from his original squad. Much like Bledsoe, Thomas had an asterisk—size for Thomas, injury for Bledsoe—that hindered his ability to receive a max contract.
In a recent interview with Alex Kennedy of BasketballInsiders.com, Thomas cleared the air about why he left the Sacramento Kings to shine with the Phoenix Suns.
“I went on one visit, with the Phoenix Suns, and they just pulled out the red carpet for me and in the end I just felt wanted,” Thomas told Basketball Insiders. “That was the biggest thing for me, to go to a team that really wanted me for who I was and loved me for what I did – loved me for being a scoring point guard and being a 5’9 point guard. I felt Phoenix was the best destination for me with the style of play, with the coach and with the whole organization there. Everything feels like it’s going forward. I mean, they won 48 games last year, they were one game from the playoffs and it just seemed like the right fit for me.”
The incumbent squad, Sacramento, didn’t show Thomas the same appreciation.
“Am I surprised Sacramento didn’t bring me back? People always ask that. Actually, I wasn’t. I always felt like they didn’t appreciate me as much as they should,” Thomas said. “I’m not saying the fans – the fans loved me and the city of Sacramento loved me. But it’s a business. They felt like they could get somebody better and I don’t blame them, that’s on them, and it’s their loss. I’m just going to continue to work hard, and worry about the Phoenix Suns. That’s what it’s about now. It’s not about Sacramento. It’s not about me not going back there. I wish them the best, and now it’s about being on the Phoenix Suns and making the playoffs.”
Underrated or not, all that matters to Thomas is that he’s appreciated by the Suns.
Kings head coach Mike Malone knows how to elevate the game of his point guards through superb offensive schematics. He did it for Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors and struck gold again with Thomas in his first year on Sacramento’s sidelines.
The fortunate news for Thomas is that he’s entering another system that plays to his strengths.
Phoenix runs an up-tempo offense that stresses the importance of the 3-ball and transition scoring. Thomas, beyond a capable dribble-penetrator, will add the half-court element that every great scoring guard offers.
According to NBA.com, Thomas ranked No. 10 in the association with 5.6 points via drives per game.
Bledsoe was No. 7 in that regard.
Rather than harping on a Bledsoe versus Thomas comparison, the NBA community should be happy for the latter player. Thomas had a wonderful 2013-14, yet found himself without faith from the organization that drafted him.
It’s hard to explain a player going from being the No. 60 overall draft choice to a star-caliber producer and still not receiving his organization’s trust.
Fortunately, Thomas found a more appreciative home in Phoenix.
Houston Pursuing Ramon Sessions
The Houston Rockets are a team with two stars and a cast of role players, if you ask James Harden. Despite that suggested imbalance, the Rockets are no different than any other team in the history of the NBA: they need balance and depth to go deep in the playoffs.
If Houston has any intention of actually making it out of the first round, Harden needs to listen to The Beatles and get a little help from his friends.
The Rockets shipped out Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, receiving closer to nothing than something in return. While Dwight Howard may offer twice the impact that most centers do, Lin was invaluable as Houston’s sixth man.
Per Alex Kennedy of BasketballInsiders.com, the Rockets are pursuing Lin’s replacement in the form of another scoring point guard: Ramon Sessions.
The Houston Rockets are trying to acquire free agent Ramon Sessions in a sign-and-trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, per league sources.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) August 25, 2014
It makes sense. And it doesn’t.
Sessions has long been one of the league’s most under-appreciated players. A stint with the Los Angeles Lakers proved that he’s not a star, but it did nothing to disprove the notion that he can be a high-quality player.
Per NBA.com, Sessions was No. 5 in the league with 6.1 points per game via drives.
Slashing is what makes Sessions so dangerous, but it’s also what would make him an awkward fit in Houston. Much like Lin, Sessions would be out-of-place working next to Harden—as ball-dominant as any guard in the league—in an off-ball role.
Sessions is at his best with the ball in his hands, but that won’t happen very often with Harden on the floor. A career 31.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc, there’s little reason to believe that Sessions will thrive in the role Houston offers.
Sessions is a very strong option for a sixth man, but Houston could be in store for a schematic repeat of the Lin saga if a deal is executed.
Around The League
- As can be seen in the video provided above, 2K Sports has released a new trailer for the upcoming NBA 2K15 video game. The highlight of the video is LeBron James, donning a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey, throwing down a monster dunk on Miami Heat guard Shabazz Napier. Yes, that Napier. The one who James publicly backed. The one who the Heat drafted to appease James. The one who is now a rival instead of a teammate.
- DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings opens up to NBA.com about his selection to Team USA. It’s a must-read interview about a player who was once labeled as too much of a head case to represent his country. “I’ve said it time and time again – it’s a goal of mine for this summer…It’s a huge honor. Who wouldn’t want to represent their country?”