When it comes to point guards in Phoenix, the more, the merrier.
Isaiah Thomas is off to a spectacular start in his new sixth man role with the Phoenix Suns, and beyond his individual statistics he has already helped the team earn quality victories over the Spurs, Nets and Warriors (though GSW was without Klay Thompson). Even though the season is only two weeks young, Thomas, along with NOLA’s Ryan Anderson, has established himself as an early front-runner to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
At 5-9, Thomas has all the offensive tools you could dream of for someone of his stature. If you’ve ever watched him play, you know he’s fearless and possesses lightning-like quickness, but during the first few weeks of the season he has shown that he really is the complete package offensively. He’s also demonstrated he can be extremely efficient even in shorter stints.
The bad? He understandably struggles on the interior defensively against much bigger guards and could also stand to improve his on-ball defense in general. Offensively, he’s guilty of leaving his feet at precarious times, but his vision and heady decision-making allow him to get away with this and still make a good play most of the time.
The good: Aside from lacking a killer post game, there really isn’t an area in which he doesn’t excel offensively. An absolute blur in the open floor, the small but strong lefty is highly capable of putting defenders into a vicious spin cycle with his wide array of moves. He has a mean crossover, an effective Euro step in transition, a terrific shot fake, a devastating teardrop floater and is a fantastic floor spacer and playmaker with great vision. Thomas throws a nice skip pass, can come off of a screen and catch and splash in rhythm, uses his body brilliantly to shield away defenders and finishes well with both hands around the rim. Oh, and he gets to the free-throw line at a rate of 5.6 times per game.
During the preseason, he talked about wanting to be aggressive without stepping on the toes of his teammates, and thus far he has done an extraordinary job in that department, averaging 17.4 points (47.4 FG, 32.4 3Pt, 84.4 FT), 2.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 0.8 steals in 24.3 minutes per game. He has adjusted unbelievably well to his new role as a reserve who plays fewer minutes than last season. He is also meshing extremely well with Gerald Green off the bench; those two alone make the Suns bench one of the most fun in the NBA.
Thomas’ scintillating start has allowed the Suns to weather the somewhat inconsistent game-by-game performances we’ve seen from reigning Most Improved Player Goran Dragic, who’s averaging 14.9 points (45.0 FG, 31.8 3Pt, 91.7 FT), 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 turnovers in 32.5 minutes per game, and recently maxed-out Eric Bledsoe, who’s contributing 13.8 points (46.8 FG, 40.0 3Pt, 80.0 FT), 4.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.5 turnovers in 30.0 minutes per game.
The presence of Thomas in Phoenix is allowing Bledsoe, who has struggled with injuries his entire career, to play a more Spurs-like load of minutes. With that, along with a little luck and help from the team’s brilliant medical staff, Bledsoe just may be able to stay healthy and prove worthy of his max contract. Second-year head coach Jeff Hornacek has also been afforded the luxury of being able to ride the hot hands during crunch time, and with Bledsoe struggling Wednesday night versus Brooklyn (11 points, seven turnovers), he turned to Thomas to help complete the comeback. And Thomas did not disappoint, helping the Suns advance to 5-3.
This team is still coming together, and if it continues to improve, Phoenix definitely has a shot to make the playoffs this season. Though Markieff Morris is having another breakout season, Anthony Tolliver is no Channing Frye. More broadly, a postseason berth will certainly be difficult in a loaded conference that will eventually see the return of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Challenges aside, Thomas looks like a phenomenal signing and one who is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Phoenix.
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