Thomas' Attitude, Personality Have Transformed Overachieving Celtics

http://espn.go.com/boston/story/_/id/12676881/jackie-macmullan-isaiah-thomas-made-basketball-boston-fun-again-celtics-fans



    Jackie MacMullan, ESPNBoston.com columnist




BOSTON -- I can pinpoint the exact moment when the Boston Celtics morphed from "plucky" to playoff worthy, from "intriguing" to captivating, from a team that was "fundamentally sound" to one that is creative and convivial and cool to watch.

It was when Isaiah Thomas showed up, pulled on Sherman Douglas' old No. 4 jersey and promptly scored 21 points in 25 minutes and got tossed from the game, all in his action-packed debut.

Sherm would have liked that. He played when Paul Gaston was the Celtics owner and declared at a function, "I think I know our team stinks.'' Upon hearing those comments, the feisty point guard retorted, "Well, I think he stinks too.''

Isaiah Thomas doesn't stink. No other bench player in the NBA has scored 20 or more points in 26 games and few, if any, guards that measure 5-foot-(ahem)-9 inches strut to the free throw line with such notable regularity.

In Sunday afternoon's lopsided win over a gutted Cleveland Cavaliers roster, Isaiah shot six free throws. Nobody shot more. This is becoming a regular occurrence.




Isaiah Thomas has averaged 21.4 points per game in six games in April, in which the Celtics are 5-1.
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images


In fact, in a win over the Detroit Pistons last week, Thomas sashayed into the paint virtually untouched for much of the night and shot as many free throws (10) as the entire Detroit team. Oh, and he scored 34 points. After the game, when asked what went awry, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy bluntly admitted, "We couldn't contain Isaiah Thomas.'' Usually, free throws are boring, but not the way Thomas accumulates them. He has a knack for lulling his defender into believing he's just dribbling, minding his own business, contemplating the gaudy Big Dig price tag, then -- boom -- he suddenly accelerates to the hole or quickly pulls up and launches a 3-pointer, in either case making certain that he draws contact and gets the whistle. "You know he's going to do it,'' lamented Cavs forward James Jones, "but he gets you anyway.''

Thomas "got" Jones at the 10:18 mark of the second quarter. At the time, it was a tie game, which was a tad disconcerting considering the Celtics began the contest with an opening 9-0 burst. With LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love all in street clothes, there was absolutely no excuse for not winning this basketball game.

By the time it was over, Boston had held Cleveland to 78 points and had won by 39.

"Coach [Stevens] said we were a very mature team tonight for 48 minutes,'' Thomas reported. "That's a good thing.''

Since Boston acquired Thomas, the team is 18-11 and completely and totally zoned in on being a playoff team. Seriously. The little dude has done the impossible -- he's convinced fans who were programmed into a "gotta lose and rebuild" stupor into rooting unabashedly for their team to win, lottery pick be damned.

Thomas has proven to be the ideal antidote for a team that had trouble closing out games because of a lack of a pure scorer. Thomas often plays alongside Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley, who simply can't handle the responsibility of controlling the ball right now. The beauty of it is Thomas needs the ball in his hands to be effective, which is perfectly all right with his backcourt counterparts because when Thomas penetrates and draws two collapsing defenders, he kicks it out and creates open looks for guys like Bradley, Smart and Jonas Jerebko. "It's a lot of fun playing with him,'' Smart said. "His ability to get into the paint and doing some of the things he does out there ... it's fun to watch. He makes the game so much easier for the rest of us.'' After the Celtics finished off the Cavs, they sat back and waited for the results of the Indiana Pacers game with the Oklahoma City Thunder. A loss for Indiana would have clinched a playoff spot for Boston, but alas, that would have to wait for another day.

Asked how much it would mean to him to make the playoffs Thomas answered, "For me personally? It's everything. In my NBA career, I haven't been to the playoffs. It's something I want to experience. I heard it's fun, it's exciting.''

Maybe that's the most meaningful quality that Thomas has imported to the parquet. He's not a veteran who has been there, done that, who only knows winning and finds rebuilding untenable.

Thomas is trying to make his mark now, here, and he has galvanized a young group of players, many of them castoffs, into believing all of this is worth fighting for.

He told the assembled media Sunday that once he heard about the trade that shipped him from Phoenix to Boston, he started focusing on the postseason. "I honestly did,'' Thomas said. "When I came here, Isiah Thomas shot me a text that said, 'They are a game and a half out of the eighth spot,' so I felt like it was realistic. "These guys have been fighting each and every day. We've been fighting and fighting.''

The fight has been embraced by a patient fan base that has long rewarded effort with affection. (See their prolonged and continued love for Kendrick Perkins, which was on display again Sunday afternoon.)

Midway through the second quarter, Thomas pulled them from their seats when he drove left, did the Rajon Rondo peekaboo pullback, drew a crowd of Cavs jerseys, then threw a wraparound pass around 7-footer Timofey Mozgov to Jonas Jerebko for a corner 3-pointer.

No one is saying Thomas is a better passer than Rondo. No one is saying he's a better player, either. But he's the better player for this team. They need someone who believes scrapping for the eighth (or seventh) playoff spot is a noble goal and a significant accomplishment. Remember when Doc Rivers said recently that Brad Stevens was a much better fit for the Celtics at this juncture than he would have been? Same applies here. Rondo had the right to desire a change of scenery. He was an integral part of the 2008 championship, and that's chiseled in stone, but he was no longer interested in the long haul ahead. Who admits they haven't played defense in two years? That one still rattles my brain.

Back to free throws. Since Rondo tore his ACL, he simply hasn't exhibited the confidence to attack the paint like he once did. He has attempted 70 free throws this season and made only 25 of them. That's 35.7 percent.

Thomas has taken 342 free throws this season and made 87.2 percent of them. His 5.3 free throw attempts per game lands him 21st in the league and third among point guards, trailing only the prolific Russell Westbrook (9.7 FTA/game) and former Suns teammate Eric Bledsoe (5.5). Thomas, incidentally, shoots more free throws than any other bench player at any position in the league.

It is a valuable skill, and a critical one come playoff time.

I know what you are thinking. I'm going overboard, and you are right. Thomas is a liability both as a rebounder and a defender because he's so small. That nightmare came to life in living Technicolor in a recent loss to the Milwaukee Bucks when coach Jason Kidd ordered anyone that Thomas was guarding to back him into the paint and post him up. It was shocking how quickly and easily that turned into a successful strategy.

It's a genuine concern, and one of the reasons that Thomas has played for three teams in the past seven months. The other is the idea that he will want a larger role next season, that he will demand to be a starter, which will hamper his overall effectiveness as a game-changer (and pace-changer) and could cramp the development of Smart.

Can we agree to worry about that later? Can we agree Thomas and Brad Stevens deserve the opportunity to experience a taste of the NBA playoffs?

Can we just have fun watching this Celtics team play for something that actually matters.



bob



.

Now I know why I like Jackie MacMullan so much.  She makes sense!

She considers all sides of an issue, and she's not afraid to write about the contraindications of her own views.  And, of course, she doesn't post her views until what she's saying is thoroughly documented, as when she practically swore that Rondo would be leaving town and throngs of people castigated her for making such an "irresponsible" statement and me for supporting her credentials.

Now she's talking about Isaiah Thomas as a catalyst for his team and his teammates.  She even uses the term "galvanize," which is a word I love even though it somehow gives me visual imagery of a metal trash can.  Seems I recall recently writing about something similar, which somehow became confused with my criticism of players from the past—something for which I'm not widely noted.

The pure and simple fact is that Isaiah's acquisition is indisputably the most pivotal event of this Celtics season.  With the help of willing co-conspirators, Isaiah has changed the culture of the Boston Celtics.  They've been converted from (phase 1) a bunch of hard triers who, most of all, were trying not to lose to (phase 2) an overachieving collaboration that actually has good reason to believe the Celtics will win every game until it's proven otherwise.  And the number one key to this switcheroo is Isaiah's go-to offense, which finally gives the Celts a legitimate weapon to combat late-game heroics of the opposition.

Obviously, Jackie's correct about the downside of Isaiah's mediocre defense and short stature on the defensive end.  That will be something Brad will have to address, and I wouldn't bet against the coach in that regard.

But it should be noted that, as the team's offense has picked up, so has their defense.  Different ringleader (I'll give my friend Mr. Crowder the whip and top hat in terms of cultural change on defense).  But, with major contributions from guys named Bradley, Smart, Jerebko, Bass, and even Turner, the defensive ship is at least sailing in a better direction.

I've often said that, if there's truth to the old saying that good defense fuels inspired offense, there's a corollary to the effect that good offense fuels inspired defense.  There's nothing more deflating to a defense than to make a stop that goes unrewarded due to offensive failure.  Conversely, there' nothing more "galvanizing" (I can smell the compost now) for a defense than to feed off offensive success.  And so, in that sense, it can be argued that Isaiah deserves at least partial credit even for the uptick in defense.

There's always the possibility that this surge is some sort of over-inflated balloon that will prove to be nothing more than a misused condom in the long run.  That's where a leap of faith on the parts of all of us will be needed when the transactions start to mount up in the offseason.

Go Celtics!

Sam

I think Thomas is a dish that is best served "cold", as in "off the bench". He can come in and turn on the heat quickly, but for him to play the majority of his minutes against other starters (especially at the start of the game), he can and will be taken advantage of by the other team's starters.

He can be the first one off the bench when the other team's starters are winded and he can finish the game when everyone is tired. I only hope that in the future, he sees what is best for the team to succeed and he accepts his role in that success.

gyso

GYSO

Why would he feel the need or desire to start next year in the first place. Seems that is all speculation from different people not named DA, Brad Stevens, or IT himself.

After a fairly large sample of games from which to see his value as a 6th man. He ends up playing more minutes than most starters plus generally being on the court near the end of close games too.

I'm thinking IT doesn't care if he starts or not.......knowing he will get his minutes.

beat

I would like to Give IT credit for this but that certainly would not be fair to all the other players who have been playing well before he arrived.  It would not be fair to coach Stevens who has transferred his personality and positive attitude to the team.

I really like IT but do not tell me he is more competitive or confident than Brandon Bass or Avery Bradley or Evan turner or Gerald Wallace...etc...etc..

I dare say there is plenty of kudos to be spread around. There is no way that this team makes the playoffs without the play of Crowder and Jerebko. There is no way they make the playoffs if DA failed to get Zeller. If Evan Turner did not settle into his role and if Coach Stevens did not trust him enough to put the ball in his hands there is no way we make the playoffs.


dboss

The whole is greater than the sum of ITs parts.

gyso, the way you describe Isaiah's best role makes me think of a little boy who cheap shots another boy and then runs away.  LOL.  I second your points about his best being used as a reserve who hits quickly before the opponent's defense (and maybe even more important the opponent's offense) can adapt to him. And, of course, he should also be used down the stretch if the game is in doubt.

I think that, rather than comparing the degree of competitive instinct among various Celtics players it would be much simpler to single out those who do not possess enough competitive mentality to give the Celtics a serious edge in that department.  The answer, in my book, would be none of them.

Beat, Isaiah has been quoted as saying he'd prefer to start but he wants to do whatever is necessary to help the team.  So I believe he wants to start.  I don't believe the issue is number of minutes.  I call it his "knight in shining armor" mentality.  He relishes being the savior, and I expect he feels the can happen more frequently if he starts.

What Brad has going for him in that regard is time.  I can't believe Isaiah would rock the boat for the remainder of their run this season (however long or short that may be).  Given the length of Isaiah's contract, and depending on the reinforcements Danny brings to the Celtics, Brad's a good bet to help Isaiah see what role would be the best fit for both Isaiah and the Celtics.  Who knows?  By that time, and depending on the composition of the roster and the height of the starting SG, starting Isaiah could prove the best move.

Part of the intrigue of the game.

Sam

Although Thomas has definitely invigorated the Celtics offense, I disagree with McMullen in giving him credit for sparking the team.  The 'spark' credit, in my opinion goes to Jae Crowder.

Crowder was in Boston before Thomas and the team mentality started to change shortly after he arrived.  His hustling style of play and words to the press regarding such things as "playing hard all the time' and "being accountable" caught on with his teammates.  Is Crowder so smart or was he just lucky to arrive when he did? I don't know but the Cs season started to turn around almost immediately after he arrived.  Bass, Bradley and the other guys are good guys and were around before Crowder arrived but did not seem to do much to change the spirit on the team like Crowder did.

Thomas has also been very important as he brought offensive skills that were desperately needed.  As we all have seen, he can get to the hoop, he can shoot a little, brings great energy, draws fouls and shoots free throws (Rondo?) and can create for both himself and the other players.  Much earlier in the year I suggested that Ainge should trade Bradley straight up for Thomas, but Ainge found a different way (and probably better way) to bring him to Boston.

The mention and recognition of his marginal defense tells me that he is much better served as not being a starter.  He gets much easier defensive assignments when coming off the bench and that increases his value to the team for the end-of-the-game situations in which he excels.

Clyde,

You have no idea how much I work to avoid over-mentioning Jae Crowder's name.  I believe he's a super catalyst.  But I believe both Jae and Isaiah have galvanized the Celtics—in terms of defense and offense respectively.

But, in selecting the #1 catalyst for this season (as Beat says, the person who has contributed more to changing what was already there for the better), I think Isaiah joined an offense that was just a couple of steps above being dysfunctional.  Jay joined a defense that already had some pretty substantial pieces, and I believe he raised their collective defense substantially.

Of course, it could be argued that Jae is somewhat of an offensive catalyst as well, whereas Isaiah shines mainly on the offensive end.  So it's a tough call.  But I really believe that, in this case, the consistency, persistence, and competitiveness of Isaiah's "go to" role has contributed most to the incremental welfare of the team.

However, this is a bit of a trap because you won't catch me uttering a negative breath about Jae.  More so than even Isaiah, Jae plays a brand of basketball I enjoy watching most.

For $100 (in cash, please), I could actually go either way.

Sam