Since being selected as the last pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Isaiah Thomas has been proving doubters wrong. Backed with unbelievable determination and passion, the 5-9 point guard has overcome certain NBA standards (undersized, draft number) in his three years in the big leagues.
Thomas, who worked his way to the starting lineup with the Sacramento Kings, felt “disrespected” by the Kings when they brought Darren Collison in to run the point and decided that he would come off the bench. So when the Phoenix Suns pulled the trigger on a sign-and-trade that would relocate the 25-year-old to the Valley of the Sun for the next four years, Thomas felt “wanted,” which is all he wanted in the end.
With his focus now shifted toward the Suns and helping his new squad get into the playoffs next year, Thomas has dedicated his summer to basketball and preparing his body for a competitive 82-game season. As part of his preparation on the court, Thomas took his talents to the Seattle Pro-Am and the San Francisco Pro-Am. There, he was able to exercise his dazzling handle, showcase his improving range, and display his passing abilities, as you can see in the video from Ballislife below.
The second focus of Thomas’ offseason was to make sure that his body was 100 percent healthy to begin his new journey in Phoenix. That is why he elected to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist in mid-August and plans to be ready to fully participate in training camp.
Thomas greatly fits into Jeff Hornacek’s gameplan emphasizing the backcourt that fueled the Suns to to such surprising success last season. Additionally, Thomas’ role with the Suns may expand in the coming weeks, as the relationship between restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe and the Suns’ front office remains up in the air. Reports of a potential sign-and-trade have been heating up the longer the situation goes unsettled.
However, Goran Dragic and Thomas insist that they both want Bledsoe to return in hopes of establishing, as the Phoenix coaching staff put it, “a combination that no other NBA team has.”
Regardless of how it turns out, Thomas is primed to make a splash and take his game to the next level in Phoenix. And by the way he looked on the court this summer, we can’t wait to see how his progress unfolds.
What do you think?
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