Isaiah Thomas: 'I like the moves we have made'

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4719830/isaiah-thomas-i-like-the-moves-we-have-made



Isaiah Thomas: 'I like the moves we have made'
14h






Isaiah Thomas and Brad Stevens have put Boston in position to compete for the postseason. Christian Petersen/Getty Images



Chris Forsberg, ESPN Staff Writer





SALT LAKE CITY -- Boston Celtics guard and chief offseason recruiter Isaiah Thomas visited the team before its final summer league game in Utah Thursday and applauded Boston's offseason moves thus far while not ruling out the possibility of more maneuvering before the summer is over.

"I like the moves we have made and I know [Celtics president of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge] is probably trying to make more to get better or more players to fit whatever he’s trying to do," said Thomas, who sat next to Boston's basketball boss during the first half of the Celtics' summer league tilt against the Spurs Thursday night.

"I’m down for what [Ainge is] doing and I like the new guys."

Ainge asked Thomas for advice on potential offseason targets before free agency started and the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up took to social media this offseason to playfully recruit some of the NBA's top stars. Thomas said he also worked the phones hoping to persuade free agents to consider Boston.

"I think I’m pretty good at it," Thomas said of his recruiting efforts. "Even in college [at the University of Washington], man, when guys come on visits, I was the guy they were hanging around with all weekend. So when Danny came to me about that, it was easy for me to say, ‘Yeah, I could try to do what I can.’ I know it’s going to be tough, but I can do what I can and tell people about how nice Boston is, because ever before I came to Boston, you don’t really know how nice it is, the tradition and what being on the Celtics is about until you are on the team."

How did his recruiting process go?

"I’ve done the best I can possibly do," said Thomas. "I’m going to keep trying. There are a few more guys out there hopefully we can get, but for the most part I’m doing the best I can possibly do."

Pressed to share names of potential targets, Thomas went into GM mode and said he couldn't share any names. But when asked if he thought Ainge had any additional moves up his sleeve moving forward, Thomas smiled wide and added, "I think he does."

Thomas shared plenty of thoughts on Boston's offseason moves, which has included agreements to sign Amir Johnson; re-sign Jonas Jerebko and Jae Crowder; and trade for David Lee. Thomas also acknowledged the logjam at the guard position and half-joked that it's nothing new for his brief NBA career.

Some highlights from his six-minute Q&A with reporters:

• Excited for new big men: Thomas said he reached out to Lee in the aftermath of Boston's agreement to acquire the big man from Golden State. Said Thomas: "He’s a 20-10 guy and, other than last season, he averaged 18 and 10 almost his whole career. He’s a talented guy that people like playing with. I shot him a text message right when whatever happened and he’s excited. He’s very excited. I’m excited as well." Thomas said he's less familiar with Johnson, but added, "I will reach out to him once I get his info because he’s definitely a guy that we need and a guy that’s going to help us a lot."

• Core remains in place: Thomas expressed satisfaction that much of Boston's core -- a group that went 24-12 over the team's final 36 games of the 2014-15 season while aiding a playoff push -- will return next season, including the re-signings of Jerebko and Crowder. "Those are two guys that really helped us the second half of the season, especially after the trade deadline. Jonas is a hard-working guy that does multiple things. And Jae is just a workhorse. He’s not going to back down from anybody. He’s a guy that you need on your basketball team to win games. So I’m glad that they’re back."

• Playoffs are the minimum goal: Thomas said that, if there are no additional upgrades to the roster, he still has lofty expectations for this season's team. "At least the playoffs. That’s the goal," he said. "We’ve seen what we can do, we’ve seen we made the playoffs last [season], we made the strides that really nobody thought we could make. And we just gotta build from that. We’re a young team that works very hard. And for the most part we like playing with each other. That’s half the battle right there. I think if you like playing with each other and not just playing with each other, but playing for each other. You can go a long way. And we’ve got the group to do that."

• Won't let down his guard: Told that Marcus Smart had previously expressed some initial surprise when the Celtics drafted three guards last month, Thomas admitted he's aware of the crowded backcourt, but it's nothing new to him. "I’ve been in that situation, so I’m not surprised by that at all," said Thomas, who saw guard crunches in Sacramento and Phoenix contribute to his departure. "When [the draft] happened, I was just like, ‘Oh, there we go again.’ So I guess I’m a magnet because every team I’m on, they just keep drafting them. But Danny has a plan and he knows what he’s doing. He’s built a championship team before. So you’ve just got to trust the moves he’s making and control what you can control."




bob



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I liked Thomas's line about trusting Danny Ainge. He knows that anyone could be traded at any minute if Ainge finds a way to better this team, but said the exact right things for him and his teammates to hear.

I also like that this guy is willing to come out with his opinions on team stuff. Not every NBA player seemingly volunteers his thoughts on team issues or situations. Nice to hear an hones opinion rather than the (unfortunately heard too often) stuff like "not my business", "front office makes the decisions" or " I am only an employee" type of stuff.

These things probably make him a good teammate as well and perhaps even a leader amongst the teammates. I just hope that he can remain happy playing the role of the sixth man for which he is so ideally suited and not worry about who starts games.

This article sheds a little more light on how Thomas' involvement in a recruiting effort might work.  Apparently, he and Ainge do come to some sort of agreement as to whom Isaiah should contact.  I couldn't believe Isaiah would be given free rein to contact anyone he chooses.  This sort of implicit trust strengthens the feeling I expressed in the other related thread that it seems Isaiah is being given the type of responsibility that solidifies his exemption from becoming trade bait.  It also offers him a golden opportunity to exert a form of leadership, which can feed his desire to become "the man."

Now it's making more sense than the other article did.

Sam