Isaiah Thomas did not waste time. Barely signed by the Salt Lake City Stars, the former Double All-Star was already in clothing on Tuesday evening to face the Valley Suns, the team affiliated with Phoenix.
And “IT” has lost none of his offensive talent at 35, and more than nine months after his last official match. Isaiah Thomas thus scored 40 points, and distributed 8 assists in the defeat of stars 122-115.
Immediately in the bath as a holder, he started the drum meeting beating with two baskets suddenly in the first three minutes of the match.
The former Celtics player was not always very skilful (12/28, 4/10 at 3-point) and lost six balloons, lacking logical automatisms with his new teammates. But he showed that he had not lost his palette of Moves in attack, between his feints to find access to the circle or his address halfway.
A reduced role for years
This offensive performance is a step further in his quest towards a return to the NBA, as he had done last season by winning a contract with the Suns, following four games in the anteroom of the League, already with the SLC Stars (32.5 points, 3 rebounds, 5 passes on average). Still in Phoenix, he had only obtained a sporadic role – 24 minutes accumulated in seven ends of matches – and had not been recalled during the offseason.
Plusted by hip injuries in Boston, which had mowed him in the middle of the most splendor of his career, Isaiah Thomas refuses to abandon her NBA dream, despite short passages without a future in recent seasons at Lakers, Mavericks, Hornets and therefore Suns.
It remains to be seen whether a new franchise may need its service to La Conde and Scoring, like Charlotte if the ankle injury of Lamelo Ball should be serious.
