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Boston Celtics: Best If Isaiah Thomas Sticks to Same Role

By Jeremy Gottlieb

Feb 27, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) celebrates after making a three point shot during the second half of the Boston Celtics 106-98 win over the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) celebrates after making a three point shot during the second half of the Boston Celtics 106-98 win over the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Isaiah Thomas is a transformer.

He proved it last season when he arrived in Boston in a trade deadline deal with the Phoenix Suns and sparked the Boston Celtics to a 20-10 record down the stretch. Thomas’s arrival and the Celtics’ subsequent surge turned another dull, aimless season into a playoff run brimming with hope that the team’s rebuild in the aftermath of the latest Big 3 era would wind up completed much sooner than later.

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It’s a bit too soon for Thomas to be cast in the next Michael Bay-directed, big screen monstrosity, though. The Celtics’ backcourt is stuffed to the gills and with training camp and a new season bearing down on us, one of the more compelling subplots revolves around how coach Brad Stevens will handle his rotation and divvy up minutes.

In discussing his goals both for the team and individually during an interview on Sirius XM satellite radio last week, the diminutive point guard noted that not only making the playoffs again but improving on the Celtics’ ultimate finish is a key. In addition, he said that he feels like he can be an All-Star and “with the opportunity given by the Boston Celtics, I feel like I can reach that goal.”

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Thomas is still the only player on the Celtics’ jam-packed roster who can create his own shot and get to the free throw line at will. He is also still just five-foot-nine, a major hindrance on the defensive end of the floor. As talented as he is with the ball in his hands and as much as the Celtics need a player with his type of game, changing his role all that much from what it was last season when he played about 26 minutes per game coming off the bench feels like it would prove costly.

If those minutes go up, say to around 30-32 per night, fine. And if the Celtics come out of the gate poorly in first quarters, maybe inserting Thomas into the starting lineup as a change of pace will help.

But if Thomas ain’t broke, don’t fix him. He scored 19 points per game in those 26 or so minutes and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting. He carried a going nowhere team into the postseason playing a very specific, specialized role.

Isaiah Thomas transformed the Celtics last year. And that’s reason enough for the Celtics not to try to transform him.

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