3 best landing spots for Isaiah Thomas in Florida bubble
By Luke Duffy
2. Los Angeles Lakers
Thomas has played for the Los Angeles Lakers before, although the 17 game stint there in 2017-18 was neither long nor memorable. That was before LeBron James and Anthony Davis came to town however, which makes the prospect of returning there to play now an altogether different one.
The Lakers have the kind of defensive setup now that would hide all of the deficiencies Thomas has in that area easily. Even if playing with the second unit. James and in particular Davis erase a lot of mistakes, but Dwight Howard has quietly carved out an important role for himself on this roster.
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He is the backup big man who comes in and grabs boards, sets screens, patrols the paint and gets a couple of plays called for him in a game. In other words, he is playing how he was being asked to six teams ago, but with the penny having dropped now he would be an excellent player to have Thomas buzz around.
Alex Caruso is another reserve who is very good defensively and would work well next to Thomas. Unlike the Heat, the depth chart for the Lakers at the point guard position isn’t nearly as impressive either. Rajon Rondo might actually be a Hall of Fame player, but he is best known at this stage for his IQ and leadership qualities. Expecting him to carry starter’s minutes alone in the postseason is a mistake.
Avery Bradley plays as a two-guard a lot, and again has excellent defensive abilities that would work alongside Thomas. Quinn Cook, despite hitting some big shots for the Golden State Warriors in the past, doesn’t look like he is going to be trusted with big minutes when the playoffs begin. Doesn’t this sound like an ideal place for Thomas to add something to a deep run?