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Isaiah Thomas Adding to his Offensive Game

By Joshua Bateman

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When the Boston Celtics acquired Isaiah Thomas at the trade deadline there was no longer any doubt as to who the best offensive player was. The Celtics had offensive success without him. However, he completely changed how defenses approached playing the Celtics and he absolutely blew everyone else away with 19 points per game off the bench.

What made Thomas so effective in Brad Stevens’ offense is two things. First of all, he was given an opportunity to be the go to scorer and the Celtics depended on him being the one player who could create shots for himself.

The best thing about Thomas’ game is how versatile he can be. Thomas may be the shortest player on the court but he has an incredible offensive arsenal. Thomas was a top finisher all over the court. 34% from three point range, 47% from two point range and 56% at the rim gave Stevens unlimited possibilities with Thomas. Throw in that Thomas did all of this in high volume and he is the undisputed go to scorer on the team.

Thomas then separates himself even more with what he does at the free throw line. Thomas is only 5’9 but he never avoids driving to the rim and drawing contact as he took an incredible 6.5 free throw attempts per game and finished them at a rate of 86.1%. For Thomas to immediately be that effective in Stevens’ system is the biggest testament to the potential he has as the best sixth man in the league.

Apr 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (20) in the second half at TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-78. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

With what he has now, Thomas is undoubtedly the best offensive option on the Celtics. And yet, he continues to look to expand his game. Here is what he had to say to Alex Kennedy: ” I have a one-foot three-pointer that I’m going to show off this season. I’m just trying to add different things to my game and become an even more complete player”.

Thomas is looking to become not just the biggest threat on the Celtics, but he is looking to become one of the biggest threats in the league. Steve Nash is one of the greatest three point shooters of all time and even if a one footed three pointer sounds unconventional, anything that he can learn from Nash will certainly improve his game. Thomas is trying to learn form Nash and that will do nothing except benefit him.

Improving his three point shot is also the best way for Thomas to improve the Celtics. For a team that depended greatly on the three point shooting, the Celtics’ ability to finish from beyond the arc was simply unacceptable. Thomas is already one of the lone bright spots from beyond the arc but with the volume of his shooting if he can improve his efficiency, then that should be the best way for the Celtics to improve their overall mark.

The Celtics are more talented than a season ago but Thomas remains the best offensive option on the team. He is the best play maker and that applies to any area on the court. Thomas may never get a chance to start for the Celtics but he is already overdue for a sixth man of the year award. If Thomas manages to improve his game from a season ago then there is little doubt that he will rectify being robbed of the award.

Stevens is also in a much better position to optimize Thomas’ talents. Thomas was a late addition a season ago and he fit in immediately. Giving him a full offseason to build chemistry with the roster and with his coach should be the best way for Thomas to improve from a season ago, where he sparked one of the best playoff runs in the eastern conference.

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