Isaiah Thomas seems to be settling in to his new digs in Cleveland nicely but that doesn’t mean that the All-Star point guard doesn’t join his new team with a chip on his shoulder. After a seemingly never-ending process that finally resulted in Thomas being swapped (along with Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2018 first round pick) for Kyrie Irving, he provided a behind the scenes look at his mindset and his reaction to being moved away from the Boston Celtics.
Thomas is recovering from a well documented hip ailment that held up the trade for several days as the two sides discussed additional compensation and that is highlighted here. The 5’9 point guard is heavily reliant on flexibility and quickness to survive in the league and it is clearly a mission for Thomas to be at full strength as soon as possible.
Still, he references the “marathon” that seemingly describes his rehab from the injury and even uses a hashtag that includes emphasis on the slow nature of the grind that entails. From the outside looking in, it certainly appears as if Thomas could have been treated better by the Celtics organization after all he put forth in the green and white and, in reading between the lines here (with the apparent recounting of the trade call with GM Danny Ainge), he seems to agree.
Still, the best currency for a player still in his basketball prime is to perform well on the floor and Isaiah Thomas has plenty of motivation to put on a show in Cleveland when he returns to 100 percent health.
