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STRIKE TWO: IF it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? But what if the “fix” involves adding a two-time All-Star into your line-up? Seems like a no-brainier. But is it?
The high flying Denver Nuggets are going to be facing a dilemma soon. We’ve been talking about it for much of the season, but now, with the All-Star break coming up soon, it’s getting real: What will the Nuggets do when guard Isaiah Thomas is ready to come off the disabled list?
The national media is reporting (perhaps incorrectly?) that Thomas will be activated sometime in mid February, and that the Nuggets will benefit greatly from his addition to the line-up. On the surface, that would seem obvious, right? Dude is a two-time All-Star with a great resume. How is that not going to give the team a boost?
Here’s how:
The deal for Isaiah is this – he’s on a one-year contract. No guarantees for next season. He’s missed a lot of time the past two seasons and is a question mark in the eyes of most NBA GM’s. That’s why Denver was able to sign him on the cheap for one season. So Thomas has something – actually everything – to prove.
So how does he prove himself to the entire league? By accepting a secondary role for the rest of his contract? By being the guy that comes off the bench and spells Gary Harris or Jamal Murray…or Monte Morris, for a bit. Does he prove himself worthy of a big new contract by being a “role” player? Probably not.
To be honest, he would likely need to do a lot more than that. He’d have to do a lot of “eye catching/highlight reel” kind of stuff over the second half of the season. And we’re talking about a second half that’s as big as any second half has ever been in the history of the Denver Nuggets franchise, just so you know.
From the Nuggets standpoint, the situation is this: Morris is the only true “point” guard on the roster. Both Harris and Murray are better “off the ball” guys – shooting guards, even though they play the point some. But the offense runs through center Nikola Jokic, so it can all work. Passing and ball movement are the key elements.
But Thomas is not a true “pass first” point guard, either. He’s a shoot first guy. Needs the ball in his hands. Creates off the dribble. Goes hard to the hoop.
Add in the fact that the 5’ 9” Thomas is a big time liability on defense, and you can see potential issues. Giving him big time minutes not only means potentially disrupting the offensive flow, but it also means someone who’s been a major contributor – like Morris – will get his minutes cut back. Opponents will test Thomas immediately, to see if he’s healthy and to see if he’s going to fit in with what Denver has been doing very successfully all season.
Indeed…what happens to that good ball movement when Thomas gets on the floor? What happens when things don’t end up running through Jokic? The Nuggets are not much of an “isolation” team and Thomas will likely want the ball in his hands to be most effective – and to prove himself. Unless there have been a lot of adjustments made to his individual game and focus on how he fits into the Denver scheme during practice sessions, this seems like an oil and water kind of mixture.
Right now, Nuggets coach Michael Malone HAS to be the slam dunk leader for NBA Coach of the Year. How he handles things when it’s time to insert Thomas into the line-up will either make or break that candidacy. How Thomas handles what should be a limited role on a serious conference title contender will go a long way toward what happens in his NBA future.
Coming Friday: Excited about the Super Bowl? Or sick of the Patriots like I am? Wait ‘till next year…
