Why the Pacers should keep Isaiah Thomas on their free agent list
Thomas averaged 8.1 points in fifteen minutes on the court with the Nuggets this season.
The veteran point guard’s most notable trait is undoubtedly his scoring. During his 2016-17 campaign, Thomas finished fifth in made 3-PT field goals and eighth in total field goals made. The Nuggets extended their contract offer hoping the former All-Star could emulate a fraction of his former self, allowing them to utilize him as a scoring threat off the bench.
Thomas returned from his rehabilitation on February 13th, earning minutes in nine consecutive games before being removed from the rotation. He went on to play just under seven minutes on the floor during his return to Boston – recording no points on two shot attempts – and two games at the end of the regular season.
Therefore, we’ll look at his production during his short period of consistent, meaningful minutes.
The Nuggets guard managed to score in double figures in four of the first six games he played, but it didn’t take long to see the two parties didn’t quite fit. Thomas is at his best when he’s the dominant ball-handler.
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His 2016-17 season involved over fifty percent of his shot attempts coming off at least three dribbles, and he held the ball for over six seconds before nearly twenty-five percent of his shot attempts. Conversely, the Nuggets live by their ball movement, averaging 27.4 APG as a team this season.
Not being known specifically for his passing ability, the hypothesis that Thomas would fit in with this system, even despite his lingering injury, was questionable to begin with.
If Thomas wasn’t going to dominate the ball during his time on the court, the pressure to consistently score when given the opportunity was amplified. Over twenty-six percent of his shots this season were catch-and-shoot threes, converting on 25% of his attempts.
On the other hand, 27.2% of his attempts were pull-up jumpers, nailing 36% of these shots. Unfortunately, his overall shooting splits – 34.3 FG% and 27.9 3P% – were the lowest of his career, and the final five games he spent in the rotation were capitalized by one-of-thirteen shooting from behind the arc.
Thomas had to make the most of his touches, but this often ended in shots that seemed rushed. The guard dribbling the ball for ten seconds while trying to shake his defender for an 18-foot jumper wasn’t conducive to Denver’s system, and he didn’t shoot consistently enough to balance his limitations on the defensive end of the floor.
After a meeting with head coach Mike Malone, the team decided their veteran point guard was better suited for a leadership role from the bench.
One of the biggest mysteries of the point guard’s decline is how much of his poor shooting can be attributed to the dust on his shoes. Pacers fans aren’t unfamiliar with bench guards who shoot inconsistently, but none of those former players ever had a season of production like Thomas did a few short years ago.
On the contrary, none of them relied on quickness and athleticism as much as Thomas, nor did they have an injury history that would’ve permanently impacted their swiftness.
In the right system, could he resemble anything close to the player he was a few years ago? A player who can get their own bucket off the bench is necessary for any team, but what are the consequences of taking a flyer on the former All-NBA guard?