Why the Washington Wizards are the right place for Isaiah Thomas
By Max Rayman
After battling injuries and bouncing around the last few years, Isaiah Thomas is ready to find redemption and move forward. Is Washington the right place for Thomas to accomplish this?
Isaiah Thomas, the two-time All-Star and former MVP candidate has found a new home where he believes he can find redemption. That is with the Washington Wizards. Now the question is, is this the right place for Thomas to shine?
I believe it is. John Wall is out for the year and this leaves a void at the point guard position. Due to this, Thomas can slide on in at the point and help take the pressure off of Bradley Beal. When healthy Thomas was an above-average three-point shooter. For his career, he is shooting 36 percent from behind the arc. If IT can recover his shooting prowess, then this will add another much-needed dimension to the team.
Last season the Wizards aside from Bradley Beal, struggled from behind the arc. Thomas will not be expected to carry the offense thanks to Beal. That should be a pressure off IT as he eases himself back into the grueling grind and rigors of a full NBA season. At the same time, IT can also help lighten the burden on Beal’s shoulders and be a secondary scoring option. Without the pressure of being “the guy”, Thomas will thrive.
The downside of Thomas is he is a liability on defense. This is a problem as the Wizards were awful on defense last season and need to drastically improve. Thomas has a career Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) of -2.9. Washington will need to find a way to cover for IT on the defensive end, and that could negatively impact his playing time. If his defense is so bad the Wizards can’t hide him, his offensive contributions won’t matter.
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Washington needs all the help they can get, and allowing IT a chance to see if he can return to form is a perfect move for the franchise. The upcoming season is already seen by some as a lost year, and handing IT a chance to bounce back is just what the teams needs. At the very least, IT’s road to redemption will be something fun to watch as the Wizards collect L’s.
Unfortunately, it was announced that IT will miss the next 6-8 weeks with a thumb injury. We’ll have to wait for IT to return before we can see if the move works out. Let’s hope it’s just a minor setback for a major comeback.