I.T. Support
By now, you might have heard the story of how Isaiah Thomas’ father grew up in the City of Angels, and bet a friend that if the Pistons beat the Lakers, he would name his son after the Pistons’ star guard. Well, Mr. Thomas lost that bet, and I.T. still gets confused with the HOF point guard on a regular basis, so you can understand why I.T. wasn’t so thrilled to be traded to a team that’s ran by the reason he has the name he does.
While fans weren’t completely surprised Isaiah Thomas was traded just 15 games into his Cavs career, when this news broke….
1/Key thing to remember about Isaiah Thomas' agent texting me that IT doesn't want to come off the bench w/the Lakers, would maybe even consider a buyout in that case: it's Aaron Goodwin's job to fight like hell for his client to start in the best possible spot when he gets to LA
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 8, 2018
…. people began to wonder if I.T. would ‘talk his way out of town’ again, despite the point guard’s public ‘excitement’:
Fortunately for Lakers fan, I.T. seemed to be content coming off the bench last night, as he looked like the I.T. of the best team in the history of the NBA, I mean of Boston, er, watch this:
IT in his Lakers debut 🔥:
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 11, 2018
22PTS (7/12FG)
6ASTS pic.twitter.com/sk8Te1aAb9
Will Isaiah Thomas start alongside Lonzo Ball? Maybe.
Will Isaiah Thomas end his career with the Lakers? Maybe.
Has Isaiah Thomas found a home? I think he can.
Look, I don’t care if you hate LaVar Ball, LiAngelo, LaMelo, Lonzo, or the whole the Ball family. Whether you like it or not, Lonzo Ball is the Lakers’ point guard of the future, and he should be – he elevates the games of the players around him. But that doesn’t mean Walton, Magic, or anyone else in the Lakers organization should feel forced to start Isaiah Thomas because he wants to show potential suitors he still has gas left in the tank.
What Isaiah Thomas needs to realize is that he’s 5-foot-9, and that the best way to achieve his goal is to be the best 6th man you can be on the Lakers. You can still score – that’s your calling card! You can still set up your teammates. Barring a late season surge, the Lakers are likely going to miss the postseason again. GMs know that. Front offices know that. They also know that you’re only a year removed from nearly averaging 28.9 PPG and starting 76 games for a strong Boston squad. They also know you’re still recovering from major hip surgery.
So I.T., if you want support, and you want a home that’s more permanent than a few years – embrace this role. No one thought you’d make it this far to begin with. Keep proving them wrong.