Isaiah Thomas has raced out to the Sixth Man of the Year lead
What the hell were the Sacramento Kings thinking when they replaced Isaiah Thomas with Darren Collison?
Perhaps it would’ve been nice if the Kings could’ve hit a few jumpers from the point guard position in their loss to the Golden State Warriors last night. Instead Collison went 4-from-12 and IT lit up the Los Angeles Lakers for 23 points on 9-11 shooting from the field.
Thomas also dished out three helpers on the night and went home with a PIE (player impact estimate) of 25.5. That’s 11.2 higher than Kings forward Rudy Gay and 18.2 more than DeMarcus Cousins — both of whom claimed they couldn’t play with a point guard capable of lighting up a scoreboard.
So what does Thomas do in shining early favorite for sixth man of the year fashion? Leads the Suns in scoring on the night and at after the game jokes about how he “wanted to be with the Lakers” this season. Ooh. Serious burn.
When the Suns signed Thomas to a four-year $27 million deal, at first look was the idea that he’d replace guard Eric Bledsoe. When the Suns locked Bledsoe up with a long-term deal it was unclear as to where Thomas would fit in, especially with Gerald Green‘s emergence last season as a threat to score off the bench. It only took one game for head coach Jeff Hornacek and the Suns to see exactly what they wanted to see.
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Essentially what you have is a starting point guard, giving nothing but the works to reserve guards. It’s unfair for the Suns opposition, and it creates nothing but advantage and Sixth Man of the year nominations for Thomas.
Typically an award reserved for guards, last year’s Sixth Man of the Year award recipient was Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford. He’ll undoubtedly be a candidate to win the award again this season, in addition to guards Manu Ginobli and J.R. Smith. What’s needed from the role is an ability to bring in energy off the bench and flat out score massive amounts of buckets, both of which are in Thomas’ natural skill set.
If Thomas continues the type of play the Suns saw last night, or dares to improve, he’ll be in serious contention for the award. In a talented and highly competitive western conference, to produce at that rate means just a bit more than throwing up shots most nights against eastern conference teams that are playing below .500. Thomas looks poised to make his mark on the league if you haven’t already noticed, and only time will tell if he’s to be recognized for his natural talents.