Once again, one of the best point guards in the NBA is named Isaiah Thomas. Not the Isiah Thomas of the ‘Bad Boy’ Detroit Pistons of the ‘80s and early ‘90s, but Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics. Named after the great Isiah Thomas as a result of his father losing a bet on a 1989 Lakers-Pistons game, Thomas shows a similar tenacity and confidence to his namesake. Standing at 5’9”, he is one of the quickest point guards in the game with a ball handling ability comparable only to the best in the league. Sophomore Xavier Fennell said, “I modeled my game after Jamal Crawford, but if I had been younger, I could have after Isaiah Thomas. His handling and quickness just lets him blow by everyone!” Ever since being the last player drafted in 2011 to the Sacramento Kings, Thomas has been underrated. During his rookie year, he played as the starting point guard for thirty seven of his sixty five games. The following year he showed minor growth, increasing his points per game average by 2.4 and finished seventh in free throw shooting. Thomas’ first true breakout season came in 2013-14 in his third year with the Kings, where he averaged 20.3 points per game and showed his all-around game with one triple double and seven double doubles. Surprisingly, the following summer Thomas was traded to the Phoenix Suns. This fueled Thomas as he has been doubted again and again, the trade showing the Kings valued him next to almost nothing as they got little in return.

 Thomas’ time in Phoenix was not a very memorable part of his career. The team already had two other point guards, Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe, who fit together well, and planned to add Thomas in as their sixth man. Their plan to have a solid rotation with three young point guards as their best players sounded interesting, but backfired. The group underachieved even with Thomas averaging 15.2 points off the bench. Dragic became unhappy that he did not not touch the ball enough and requested a trade, which sent him to Miami. However, to make the trade work, the Suns had to send Thomas to the Boston Celtics. After touching down in Boston, it took Thomas very little time to find his niche on the deep, young team. Although his role began as a backup to the Celtics’ young prospect Marcus Smart, he would not let it deter him. Just like in Phoenix, Thomas never said a word of his bench role: he allowed his game to speak for him.

 Averaging 19 points to finish the season with the Celtics, he showed that coming off the bench was not the reason for his regression. In his first full season with Boston, he has started fifty one of his fifty four games played, averaging 21.3 points per game and a career high 6.6 assists. Recently voted as an All-Star reserve for the 2016 game in Toronto, Thomas is finally getting the credit he deserves as one of the game’s top point guards. To put it in perspective, only three other point guards are scoring more than him this year, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and Russell Westbrook. Thomas’ assists per game average is seventh and is higher than reigning MVP Stephen Curry’s. Sophomore Gabe Gomez said, “If Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook stopped playing, Isaiah Thomas would be in the conversation for best point guard in the league.” Maybe this was one of his wishes, or maybe he did not even care, but Isaiah Thomas is no longer underrated.