Isaiah Thomas - Future

[GreenBloodedC]

Trade for a superstar or if absolutely necessary.

If we stop on insisting sending guys who love being a Celtic away, that would be great.

[jfs1000d]

He is our best player. An all star and top 20 nba player. He is being paid like he is not even a starter. Keep him. U tried for yea to get him, u finally got him.


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[Ed Pinkney]

Thomas doesn't play defense.

Like at all.

Has no height and no muscle.

Sell high on him or regret you didn't. He should be coming off the bench if you're utilizing him right.

Completely disagree. There is a difference between being an Avery Bradley/Marcus Smart level defender and being someone like Harden who doesn't play/try/pay attention/care about defense. I would argue he is closer to the former than the latter. He works hard, is a smart player and is a sound enough team defender to help keep the Celtics in the top handful of teams defensively all year. His height and size is an issue at times, but the same things can be said about Curry.

In terms of of the topic at hand, I think he is one of the better players in the league at his position. He is a dynamic scorer who consistently gets the job done despite being number 1, 2, 3 and probably 4 and 5 on every other teams scouting report. As we have seen this can be stopped in the playoffs when he is really not getting any offensive help, but getting offensively gifted players is really, really hard so why would you give him up unless it was an absolute home run of a move? And I don't see many of those opportunities presenting themselves.

He is definitely not a perennial All Star or untouchable, but he is definitely a starter on a really good team and a sometimes All Star. I find this notion he should be a sixth man a little ridiculous. You should try and find someone not quite as good at the things Thomas does so well to be the sixth man. Finding a player like that would be much, much easier than trying to upgrade Thomas to one of the handful of players in the league better than him at his position.

Consider his value in terms of production vs salary. He, Crowder and Bradley are probably three of the most cost effective players in the league considering what they provide and how much they are paid.

[Fencer reregistered]

You could argue that IT has (Please Use More Appropriate Word) Smarts growth at the expense of a few extra wins a year and the same 1st round exits. I would love a lineup of;

PG - Smart
SG - Bradley
SF - Crowder
PF - Amir
C - Olynyk

6th - IT
7th - ET
8th - Sullinger
9th - Jonas

That's a 9 man lineup with balance. The starting unit knocks the opposing teams starting 5 off their game and that lingers for them throughout the game. A punch in the mouth if you will. Are we scoring 30 pts that first quarter, no, but who the f cares if its a better formula for long-term winning.

Starting unit scores on average what 30 points for the whole game?

Oh people only live in the moment. You realize the starting lineup of;

Smart
Bradley
Turner
Bass
Zeller

Thomas
Crowder
Jerebko

Went 24-13 to end the 2014/15 season, right? I guess Turner, Bass and Zeller are better then Crowder, Amir and Kelly? Also, scoring is more important to you than winning, but wait that lineup was averaging 103 ppg though, so.

Bring back free agent Brandon Bass!!

I'm only half joking.

[DarkAzcura]

Lol, this poll became fishy real quick like.

[TheOGJabroni]

Are people really still sleeping on IT? Dude was being double and triple teamed in the playoffs. Other teams fear him. He's on a ridiculously friendly contract. He loves being a Celtic & Danny/Brad love him. Outside of our organization & coaching/management, he is our biggest recruiting tool.

Kyrie Irving was just the #2 option on a championship team (yes, I know #1 was LeBron) but that should be more than enough to show he is EASILY capable of being the #3 option at least (especially if #1 was someone like KD).

Danny wouldn't have IT recruit this hard if he had any thoughts of trading him. It wouldn't just "send a message" that Ainge has no loyalty; it would solidify that thought.

[DarkAzcura]

Are people really still sleeping on IT? Dude was being double and triple teamed in the playoffs. Other teams fear him. He's on a ridiculously friendly contract. He loves being a Celtic & Danny/Brad love him. Outside of our organization & coaching/management, he is our biggest recruiting tool.

Kyrie Irving was just the #2 option on a championship team (yes, I know #1 was LeBron) but that should be more than enough to show he is EASILY capable of being the #3 option at least (especially if #1 was someone like KD).

Danny wouldn't have IT recruit this hard if he had any thoughts of trading him. It wouldn't just "send a message" that Ainge has no loyalty; it would solidify that thought.

It's really knee jerk in a way. Essentially the logic has been, 'if a player can't succeed as a number 1 option, he must be a bench player.' It's very odd logic, and I don't think some understand that's essentially what they are saying indirectly. If a player can be a number 1 option on a 47-50 win team with a top 10-13 offense, then he could clearly be a number 2 or 3 on a contender. There's really no question about it to me. His passing and playmaking in general is serverely underrated also (see references to him being referred to as a 'gunner' or 'microwave scorer').

EDIT: No one has ever legitimately been able to argue against me on this point here other than bringing up his height, which is a really bad point since we have real results proving against that point.

[Stadium5]

Are people really still sleeping on IT? Dude was being double and triple teamed in the playoffs. Other teams fear him. He's on a ridiculously friendly contract. He loves being a Celtic & Danny/Brad love him. Outside of our organization & coaching/management, he is our biggest recruiting tool.

Kyrie Irving was just the #2 option on a championship team (yes, I know #1 was LeBron) but that should be more than enough to show he is EASILY capable of being the #3 option at least (especially if #1 was someone like KD).

Danny wouldn't have IT recruit this hard if he had any thoughts of trading him. It wouldn't just "send a message" that Ainge has no loyalty; it would solidify that thought.

Ainge's loyalty should be with the Franchise above all else. If an opportunity comes up where trading IT can bring us back something better suited for our future, he should do it without second thought

[TheOGJabroni]

Are people really still sleeping on IT? Dude was being double and triple teamed in the playoffs. Other teams fear him. He's on a ridiculously friendly contract. He loves being a Celtic & Danny/Brad love him. Outside of our organization & coaching/management, he is our biggest recruiting tool.

Kyrie Irving was just the #2 option on a championship team (yes, I know #1 was LeBron) but that should be more than enough to show he is EASILY capable of being the #3 option at least (especially if #1 was someone like KD).

Danny wouldn't have IT recruit this hard if he had any thoughts of trading him. It wouldn't just "send a message" that Ainge has no loyalty; it would solidify that thought.

Ainge's loyalty should be with the Franchise above all else. If an opportunity comes up where trading IT can bring us back something better suited for our future, he should do it without second thought

True, I guess I'm speaking more to the people that want to trade him for a draft pick. It's not happening. If we trade him and whatever else for Jimmy Butler, it might be a slight upgrade but probably not worth it, IMO, especially with IT's contract. It needs to be for a sure fire superstar, which I don't think IT will net.

[DarkAzcura]

Are people really still sleeping on IT? Dude was being double and triple teamed in the playoffs. Other teams fear him. He's on a ridiculously friendly contract. He loves being a Celtic & Danny/Brad love him. Outside of our organization & coaching/management, he is our biggest recruiting tool.

Kyrie Irving was just the #2 option on a championship team (yes, I know #1 was LeBron) but that should be more than enough to show he is EASILY capable of being the #3 option at least (especially if #1 was someone like KD).

Danny wouldn't have IT recruit this hard if he had any thoughts of trading him. It wouldn't just "send a message" that Ainge has no loyalty; it would solidify that thought.

Ainge's loyalty should be with the Franchise above all else. If an opportunity comes up where trading IT can bring us back something better suited for our future, he should do it without second thought

Well obviously. There are two different motives in this poll so it makes this topic difficult, IMO. I think IT can be a second option or third on a contender so I clearly think he can be a starter on a championship squad, BUT I recognize that if we can't see us putting together a championship squad within the next two years, it may be better off trading him. Problem is, I don't see fair value existing. If we are thinking mid first round pick for him, then meh. It's not worth it. If we are talking potential top 7 pick in a better draft, then go for it and rebuild from the ground potentially (if contending is completely out of the question that is). Like anything else, there isn't really one answer to a poll like this because I believe in two of the options..they are asking different questions.

[TheRev72]

I'm hoping IT's future is starting in the backcourt with an improved Marcus Smart. IT gives you ballhandling and offense. Smart gives you ballhandling and defense. They are a good mix, I think. Bradley can be moved to the bench as the third guard or traded, potentially allowing Rozier (or some other guard to be drafted/signed/traded for) to be groomed for that spot.

[ryaningf]

I'm more that willing to move IT when the time and price are right. If Durant isn't coming, the time is right. Then it'd be about the price for me.

IT is like Kyrie and Steph in the regular season, and there's a ton of value in that for this particular team (starved as we are for offense). I just think he's easier to stop in the playoffs due to his size. Trap him, make him give up the ball, and at his height he really can't make teams pay for that. Yeah, we don't have many options for him to pass to, but also, he's 5'8" and can't see over defenders enough to really make them pay with the pass when doubled.

Unless he's playing with Lebron or Durant or KAT or Anthony Davis or Paul George, I think IT tops out as 4th best player on a championship team.