Oct 14, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Shane Larkin (0) defends against Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
4. Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
2014-2015 Stats: 16.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.2 apg, 46% FG, 37% 3PT, 20.6 PER
I don’t know the guy but it is safe to assume Isaiah Thomas has probably been underrated most of his life. At 5-feet-9 and 186 lbs, he does not scream NBA player by any means. Maybe that adds to his charm as one of the most underrated players in the NBA.
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After the trade that sent him to Boston last season, he thrived under the guidance of Brad Stevens. The Phoenix experiment with multiple point guards was a disaster for a multitude of reasons. Mainly, it did not give Thomas a chance to do what he does best – be a play-maker and a scorer. And to do that, he has to have the ball in his hands.
Thomas was the 11th most efficient scorer in the entire NBA last season and led the Celtics in both points and assists per game. Plus, he did it all coming off the bench. He has long has been overlooked, but it’s getting harder to ignore his offensive prowess after he averaged 30.6 points per 48 minutes over the course of the 2014-15 season.
After taking his talents to Boston, he saw dramatic increases in production even though his minutes per game were comparable to his time in Phoenix. His PER sky rocketed to 22.3 while in Beantown, and he is easily one of the top sixth men in the league.
Like I said, he is probably used to being underrated. I think it is time he got his due attention. He is close to becoming one of the most talented scorers in the NBA and he is expected to put up big numbers once again this season.
Next: No. 3