Isaiah Thomas

Biggest Stars Don’t Think Little Of Celtics Diminutive Guard Isaiah Thomas

... “He’s had so many different roles, from trying to make teams to trying to find minutes to sixth man and coming off the bench. Now he’s a starter and has his own team, and he’s excelled. He’s playing at a high level. His coach has confidence in him, and I’m sure his teammates do, as well. The city of Boston embraces him.”. It’s interesting to see how opponents seem to actually enjoy Thomas’ success. “Man, he’s been great,” said Clippers center De Andre Jordan. “He’s played some amazing basketball. It’s really cool to see. “He has the heart of a lion. It’s fun to play against him, because he doesn’t back down from any challenge, offensively or defensively. It’s amazing to see. It is.”. At 6-11, Jordan is a foot and two inches taller than Thomas, but he’s still wary of the Celtics guard’s drives. “It’s tough, man,” Jordan said. “It’s tough, because you never know which way he’s going to go. He’s super crafty with the basketball. He can finish with the best of them at the basket. He’s just so crafty and his skill set is so high. He gives guys a lot of problems.”. Among the least surprised ...

Celtics Don't Have Any Problems With Isaiah Thomas' Future Contract Situation

... glad we have him.”. As for the team’s plans for the trade deadline, Grousbeck said Danny Ainge and crew have had many conversations over the past weeks. But the real deals don’t really come together until about noon on the day of the deadline. “I definitely don’t feel that we’re going to get people’s best offers until they feel like we’ve given them our best and final as well. There were no deals that were going to get done last week or the week before. It just wasn’t going that way. Everyone is still talking,” Grousbeck said, noting that there will be many conversations in New Orleans over All-Star weekend. The Celtics’ possession of the Nets’ first-round pick figures to play a crucial role in any trade talks. Grousbeck offered some interesting insight, noting that “If you trade the pick before the lottery, you don’t know what you’re trading, and the other team doesn’t know what [they’re] getting, so you might not get full value.”. Plus, if the Nets continue to own the worst record ...

Isaiah Thomas Scores 20, But West Tops East In High Scoring All-star Game

... a dunk. “OH MY GOD! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” Curry shouted on the West bench, which moments later broke into celebration. Players jumped and threw hands skyward, Curry tossing a cupful of ice water onto a smiling Durant amid it all. “It was a nice give-and-go, man,” Westbrook said. Added Durant: “It was a great basketball play. He was open so I threw him the lob. He can jump really high so yeah, good play.”. Kerr said that set the West up for the rest of the night. “I guess that’s kind of the beauty of the game,” Kerr said. “You just let the game break the ice, and that play, I thought, broke the ice.”. Westbrook scored 12 points — all on 3 s — in a 63-second span late in the third quarter, coming off the bench and firing over and over and over again. And then he opened the fourth quarter with another 3, giving him 34 points in just under 14 minutes played to that point. It looked like he was a cinch for MVP honors, until Davis scored 20 points in the fourth. “He did a good job,” Westbrook said, “and got it done.”. East: Irving also led the East in rebounds with seven. … Isaiah Thomas scored 20 for the East. Kyle Lowry scored 19 points ...

The Big Story Of This Year's All Star Basketbal Game Is Isaiah Thomas

... like they are, I want to be the greatest player to ever play. I know I've got a long way to go. I'm not even close, but you've got to shoot high.". If that wasn't enough, Muggsy Bogues — 5-foot-3 and 14 seasons in the NBA — had kind words for anyone worried size and height. "(Focus on) the game itself. You know you always got to start with the fundamentals of the game and then let your natural ability take over. Again, we continue to let kids know that the game is (about) athletic ability, so don't get caught up on size. Remember, I'm living testimony of that." Answer sounds old? Maybe we should stop asking. (Sidenote: It never gets old to see legends of the game mingling over the weekend festivities). ADAM BELIEVES THE EARTH IS ROUND. NBA commissioner Adam Silver is gung-ho about basketball 's improving global stature, and that also means keeping an eye out for travel bans. Here's what he said: "For the first time this year, we made somewhat of a significant leap in the number of international players in this league. We climbed from roughly 20 percent of the league, players that were born ...

Western Crowns Two Regional Champions, Isaiah Thomas Earns 2nd Coach Of The Year

... said Western coach Isaiah Thomas, of Moore. “It’s great to see him finally break through.”. Moore, a senior who eclipsed 100 pins and 170 wins this season, is seeking a state title after finishing fourth last year. “The sky is the limit for him right now,” Thomas said. “His goal is to be a state champ, that’s all he’s ever wanted. This is his opportunity, and he’s wrestling really well.”. Defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Noah Schoenherr secured his third regional title at 135, while younger brother Vic Schoenherr finished third in the same weight class. “For Noah it’s always, ‘How can I get better?’” Thomas said. “When you’re the returning state champ, you get everyone’s best. There’s a big target on his back and he went out and dominated like he’s done all year.”. Noah Schoenherr defeated No. 6 Sergio Borg of Oxford in a 9-0 major decision, while No. 5 Vic Schoehnher defeated No. 7 Jake Rygielski of Clarkston in a 3-0 decision. “Vic is just being really offensive and creative with his technique,” Thomas said.  “His technique on the bottom has been his biggest improvement, as well as his confidence. “Having a great person to look at like his ...

Did Isaiah Thomas Recruit Gordon Hayward At All-star Weekend

... are pretty wide open financially. Next, we have the Brad Stevens connection. The Celtics headman was Hayward’s coach as a collegiate at Butler and the two remain good friends. Stevens also happens to be one of the league’s best coaches. The kind of guy you would probably want to play for even if you didn’t have a past with him. Finally, the Celtics are one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. They’re currently second to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the standings and as long as their team is composed of Thomas, Horford and a talented supporting cast, they should remain near the top of the standings for years to come. Adding Hayward would only serve to bolster their prospects. For a player who has said that winning is his top priority, it’s a situation the Jazzman may have to think long and hard about. More from ...

The Celtics' Little Ticket

... what’s happening now. Focus on where you’re going with this, long-term.’ ” Smart eventually benched Fredette and moved Evans off the ball for Thomas in his second year. In 2013–14 he averaged 20.3 points for a 28-win team and escaped to Phoenix in a sign-and-trade that he helped engineer. That lasted 46 games and just one start, before he was sent to Boston as part of a three-way deal in February 2015. The first person to text Thomas after the trade was the other Isiah Thomas. “I called him back,” says Thomas, “and he told me, ‘This is the best thing that could have happened to you. You’re with a real organization now. And the fans there will love you.’ ”. Indeed, Thomas is one of those athletes now who owns a small piece of a passionate sports city. It’s smaller than Brady’s and smaller than David Ortiz’s, but it’s a piece nonetheless. And the city owns a piece of him back. “It’s a little crazy when I go to the mall,” Thomas say. “But I still try to go.” He lives in a Cambridge apartment with his wife, Kayla, and their four-year-old son, Jaiden. (Thomas has a six-year-old son, James, who ...

Ex-husky Isaiah Thomas Is In The Conversation For Nba Mvp

... There are two ways to answer that question. The first is Isaiah’s way. “I’m more aggressive to score and make plays than I am in the first three quarters, because my teammates want me to be,” Thomas said. “Coach (Brad Stevens) puts me in a position to be more aggressive, and those guys look for me to make plays.”. The second way is like this: When the fourth quarter begins, Thomas remembers every slight he’s ever endured — such as being the 60 th pick in the 2011 NBA draft — and makes every doubter see the error of his ways. Most Read Stories. Save 75% on digital access today. One minute he’ll launch a step-back three, the next he’ll blow by his defender and weave through the trees, and the next he’ll earn a trip to the free-throw line, where he is shooting a league-high 91.8 percent this season. Thomas’ spurts don’t have the theatrics of a Curry three-point barrage, but because Thomas can score in such a variety of ways, he’s more dependable in the final minutes. ...

How Is Isaiah Thomas Just Like Steph Curry? Confidence

... York Daily News reports the Jets and Revis were in contact in mid-February 2015, long before the opening of free agency. Jahlil Okafor isn't out of the picture for the Boston Celtics. As the days get closer to the NBA trade deadline, the Celtics are mulling a number of trade options. And the Philadelphia 76 ers aren't afraid to shop Okafor, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. "Okafor is kind of still there," Stein  said on ESPN's "Mike and Mike". "He's been so out there that you tend to think Philadelphia will find something in the next three days where they move him. I've heard that Boston has still given that some consideration. Chicago's another team that's been said to have shown some Okafor interest.". In his second season in Philadelphia, Okafor has seen a dip in his production after an ...

Isaiah Thomas Falls In Nba Skills Challenge To Gordon Hayward

... February 19, 2017. Thomas appeared well positioned to move onto the final round as well, nailing his first pass to take a slim lead against Hayward. But at the 3-point line, both Hayward and Thomas went cold - missing five 3-pointers apiece before Hayward finally dropped one in to earn a trip to the final round. There is a silver lining for Thomas, however, even in the loss. Isaiah gotta let Gordon win to recruit him for this offseason. - Adam Kaufman (@Adam MKaufman) February 19, 2017. Thomas, as we all know, is a master recruiter who began pitching Al Horford at last year's All-Star game. Was this yet another devious recruiting tool from Thomas? Let's take a look at some evidence. He allowed Hayward to catch up to him on the full-court layup, despite being much faster. He took a suspiciously long time to get some of his 3-pointers in the air at the end, despite being well aware that Hayward is a very good 3-point shooter. Just look at that dap. That's a very friendly dap. No, this is all ...

Isaiah Thomas, Celtics Top Mavericks For Third Straight Victory

... Isaiah Thomas battles for the ball with the Mavericks’ Yogi Ferrell during the first half of last night’s game in Dallas. DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks had won 11 of their previous 16 games heading into Monday night’s game against the Celtics, and were flirting with a low Western Conference playoff seed. Leave it to the Celtics, after kicking off their four-city western road trip with a loss to the worst team on the slate – Sacramento – to come back with their third straight win, all over playoff teams. Isaiah Thomas scored 29 points to lead the C’s over Dallas, 111-98, logging his 38 th straight game with 20 or more points, though the Celtics are filling in the cracks more with each game. James Young played a crunch time role for the second straight game, and Kelly Olynyk came off the bench with 15 points on the same floor as his idol, Dirk Nowitzki. Jae Crowder had 10 points in his first game back after a two-game family-related absence, and Marcus Smart had 19 in his Dallas homecoming. And overall the Celtics once again opened up from downtown with a 16-for-34 (47.1 percent) 3-point performance. The Celtics survived an empty three-shot possession at ...