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Former Boston Celtics MVP candidate gives new team something they lacked all season

By Andrew Hughes

Feb 14, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Thomas (3) waves during the 2015 NBA All
Feb 14, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Thomas (3) waves during the 2015 NBA All / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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CBS Sports' Jack Maloney sees former Boston Celtics MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas giving the Phoenix Suns something they didn't have before signing him to a 10-day contract: an actual pass-first point guard.

"While Thomas is more of a scorer than a playmaker, he is an actual point guard, which is something the Suns have lacked all season long," Maloney prefaced before saying, "Furthermore, he remains a knock-down shooter from the perimeter, and the Suns are 26th in the league in 3-point attempts per game (32). As a back-up guard who can run an offense and space the floor, Thomas could still be a helpful player down the stretch."

Maloney's assessment isn't fair. Devin Booker is No. 12 in assists across the Association with 6.9 per game, and both his and Bradley Beal's career-highs in a single season in assists is higher than Thomas's. The former two Suns guards have the primary attributes of 2 guards, but are just as capable at the 1.

Why former Boston Celtics MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas wouldn't stay out of the league

Thomas wouldn't stay out of the NBA for a laudable reason: to be an example to his kids on why one should never give up.

"I don't want them to hit a wall in life and give up," Thomas said to The Athletic (subscription required). "They're really seeing me and watching my every move right now, so it's like even if I wanted to, I couldn't give up. I've got a few more years of this at least. I'm going to chase everything that I possibly can, give the game everything I possibly can. And I know, even if it don't have to do with sports [but] just life in general, it's helping my kids and it's going to help another kid that's going through some real things that they can't control. That's the most important thing. I know I'm helping my kids, but if I can help one person with what they're going through, that's my job. And I've done it."

Thomas's return is best on a team like Phoenix, which seems to have missing ingredients, as opposed to Boston, which has the makings of a championship roster already.

That doesn't mean Celtics fans aren't cheering on the former King of the Fourth in his return. Because they are.

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