Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 goals for Isaiah Thomas in 2017-18

5. Get healthy…faster than expected

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. If this hip injury is actually serious, Thomas downgrades from All-Star to franchise liability. Last year he was a top-five point guard, ranking fifth in Value Over Replacement Player at the position, according to Basketball-Reference. So his elite status as a point guard was unquestionable.

But the latest reports slate Thomas to return by January, so hopefully he will be back around Christmas. That’s more than 30 games into the regular season, 30 games for his value to deteriorate. Ideally, Thomas is back in early December for a cushy part of the schedule, when the team plays the Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers. It’s a stretch for Thomas to beef up his numbers before the team enters the challenging part of the schedule.

Here’s what’s different for IT compared to other players of his caliber; he won’t be given the benefit of the doubt. Thomas is a 5’9″ point guard and former last pick in the NBA draft. Fans will quickly forget his success in Boston, falling back on the mindset that Thomas is an overachiever.

So if Thomas hopes to repeat last season’s success, or at least re-earn the respect of the league, he has to be back on the floor quickly.