Isaiah Thomas is still looking for possibly one last chance in the NBA

As Isaiah Thomas sits in free agency, he could be looking for possibly his one last shot in the NBA

We are almost three years removed from when Isaiah Thomas was the “King of the Fourth.” Thomas took control of a Boston Celtics team many thought was still a couple of years away and made them a force of nature.

At 5-foot-9 he led the Celtics to the best record in the East while pouring in 28.9 points per game to be the third leading scorer in the league.

Everything was going well for Thomas; he was the man on one of the most popular teams in the world. Thomas was the team’s star and his supporting cast fit perfectly to bring balance to his game.

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However in the following three years since his world has come tumbling down. He is no longer an MVP candidate and currently no longer on an NBA roster.

Everyone remembers the pain Thomas endured in the playoffs when he tragically lost his sister in a car accident and still chose to play. He injured his hip and still played until he couldn’t anymore and was forced to have surgery.

But surgery was not the reason the Celtics gave up on him. Thomas was never going to be the long-term option because Danny Ainge was not going to give him $100-plus million dollars to be the face of the franchise – not when they were able to get Kyrie Irving for him in a trade.

Thomas was the band-aid that performed more like a cast for a team that was missing something. He outplayed his potential that year like he was in “My-Career Mode” in a video game.

He’s now a free agent after being a throw-in piece to help facilitate a trade for the Clippers who are currently in a Cold War-type arms race with the Lakers. Both teams feel the need to stock-pile any “buyout player” they can claim first. Unfortunately for Thomas, neither team has shown much interest yet. If he is not on a team by March 1st, he will be ineligible for a playoff roster.

Sadly, in the three long years since Thomas’ run on the C’s, he can’t connect with any team. He was one of the key pieces in the Kyrie to the Celtics trade. He never fit in on the Cavs after he recovered from his injury.

Then, he had a stop in Denver where he barely played after having another surgery. Only to eventually be left off the playoff roster.

This led to his most recent stop in DC where he played 40 games for the Wizards and only averaged 12.2 points while shooting 40 percent from the field. The only memorable moment he had was going into the stands to yell at a fan who heckled him.

Thomas might be a free agent for a while because his advanced numbers don’t help him. Since 2016-17, he has averaged a net defensive rating 15 points higher per 100 possessions than his offensive rating.

His (VORP) Value Over Replacement Player during that time has also plummeted to -0.06 this season. Thomas was always a liability on defense at his size and no team wants to take a chance on him if his shooting stats are also poor.

You still see the echos on twitter about IT, his name ripples throughout feeds. As the man who lost $100 million, the player the Celtics “used.” All stemming from that 2016-17 season, a season where his flaws were almost absent.

Thomas deserves to play in the league and if he can regain half of his 2016-17 form, there’s no question he can be an asset on a team. Derrick Rose is a prime example of a guy who was a star, got hurt, and need a lot of time to find a new way to play. Thomas should follow D-Rose’s example and rework his game to fit his current abilities. He may no longer be a lead man but he can still make people cheer for him again.