The Orlando Magic are in need of anything at all to re-ignite their faltering campaign, and Isaiah Thomas might just be the answer.
As we head towards the All-Star break, the Orlando Magic continue to puzzle and annoy their fans. These days they are playing mostly uninspired basketball, while still winning just enough games so as to keep them in the hunt for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Even if all that will guarantee is a hammering in round one of the playoffs at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Still, taking a step backward and not getting to the postseason at all is not a thought worth considering. The Magic are 24-31, with the Washington Wizards (20-33) and their two-game win streak getting a little too close for comfort. If not for the Magic winning their last two games as well, they could be in an even more precarious position.
The addition of James Ennis III at the trade deadline brought nothing more than a collective shrugs, but they have yet to lose while he has been with the team. Tongue-in-cheek stats like that aside, the Magic needed at least one new face to break up the malaise.
Ennis III is only averaging a shade under 15 minutes a game so far, and that number may not increase as the season continues on. But he is somebody who head coach Steve Clifford can use to create new and different looks to throw at opponents.
Now that the deadline has come and gone, there are some other players who are available as a result of being let go, and point guard Isaiah Thomas is one of them. Traded from the Wizards to the LA Clippers, the unfortunate and unfair career arc of Thomas took another cruel turn when he was promptly waived
This can be to the Magic’s gain however, even if it is only for the remainder of this season. Building a competitive rotation in order to even make it to the playoffs is what they should be doing, with everybody else on the team coming under fire for one reason or another recently. Even Markelle Fultz has hit his own version of the rookie wall. Here is why signing Thomas makes sense.