Denver Nuggets: 3 reasons Isaiah Thomas is a good addition
1. Guiding the future
If writing about basketball doesn’t work out for me, I may become a private detective.
Some quick internet sleuthing dug up a few connections between Isaiah Thomas and Nuggets draftee Michael Porter Jr. Both players have ties to the state of Washington. For instance, Thomas is from Tacoma and played for the University of Washington. Brandon Roy, Porter’s head coach at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, is also a former Husky.
Washington ties run deep in the NBA. Jamal Crawford hosts The Crawsover pro-am summer league in Seattle. Professional players from Washington such as Spencer Hawes, Avery Bradley and Thomas himself all participate. Thomas often cites Crawford as being a role model to him. Washington bonds are strong in today’s NBA.
Despite possessing upper echelon talent, Michael Porter Jr. fell to the 14th overall pick during this last NBA Draft. What led to this draft-day plummet? Beyond the back issues and concerns over creating for others, Porter was rumored to have some personality issues. A beloved teammate, Isaiah Thomas would be the perfect person to initiate MPJ to both the NBA game and lifestyle.
The Washington connection has already gotten through to these two players. Check out Porter’s tweet about Thomas joining his squad.
https://twitter.com/mpjr/status/1017750621766803457
Conversely, Thomas has also shown some Twitter love to his new teammate.
Michael Porter Jr is the best player in the draft!!! No question about it... Pass on him if you want too
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) June 14, 2018
Denver will try and make the postseason next year. Yet, the Nuggets have a young core and an eye towards the future.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Isaiah Thomas could instill his famous work ethic into Michael Porter Jr., and the Nuggets could reap the benefits for years to come.