Everything changed for Isaiah Thomas on April 15, 2017.
After his sister Chyna tragically died in a car accident nearly two years ago, Thomas took a new outlook on life. Ever since, he’s brushed aside the negative energy that fills up his Twitter timeline daily and only focuses on the positive. So to all of Thomas’ naysayers, the cynics, the doubters that say the 5-foot-9 point guard who was the last pick in the 2011 draft won’t ever get back to the MVP level he was playing at with the Boston Celtics following an 11-month recovery after hip surgery last March, he doesn’t hear you.
There’s been a lot of that type of noise sent Thomas’ direction over the last 11 months. But the most difficult part of his journey back to the hardwood is over. For the first time in nearly a year, Thomas will put on an NBA jersey, warmups and run onto the court with his teammates prior to tonight’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Wednesday morning, Thomas walked off the floor after participating in Nuggets shootaround, down the hallway that connects Pepsi Center’s court and Denver’s locker room, and said he feels ready to return.
“I’ve got a goal that I want to reach. I want to be one of the best players to ever play the game. So there’s no quit in me. This is just a part of my story,” Thomas said reflecting back on the last 11 months. “And I’m going to just continue to grow, continue to keep going, continue to listen to my body, and hopefully, I can help this team take the next step.”
Thomas’ confidence after an 11-month hiatus? Untouched. His chutzpa? Unaffected. It’s only been two seasons since Thomas was one of the most feared lead ball handlers in the league and top fourth-quarter scorers in NBA history. He averaged 28.9 points per game for the Celtics in 2017, captaining Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals before a hip injury ended his playoff run. That’s not very long ago in basketball years. The 30-year-old believes he can get his game back to that level, even though he’ll return to the floor with a hip that’s still not 100 percent and may never be fully healthy again.
He’s been through a grueling rehab before, like when he tried to avoid surgery and return midway through the 2017-18 season with the Cavaliers, only to be shut down last March. Thomas says he’s remained patient this time around, which is something the Nuggets have allowed him to do, not urging him to return before he’s ready.
“I know it’s not all going to come back right away, so I’m not putting any pressure on myself,” Thomas said. “But at some point in time, it will come back. And the world will know.”
Denver has been able to take the long view with Thomas because of the deep rotation that has propelled the Nuggets to the Western Conference’s second-best record this season. But because of Denver’s roster, which runs two-deep at all five positions, no one, not even Thomas, knows quite what role he’ll fill when he does make his Nuggets debut.
It’s not exactly a perfect fit, to insert Thomas into a guard rotation with Jamal Murray firmly entrenched as the Nuggets’ starter and Morris as his backup. A current injury to Gary Harris opens the door for Thomas to get some minutes right away with Denver’s bench unit, and alongside Nikola Jokic, who Thomas called “best big man in the NBA,” in certain lineups. But if the Nuggets ever return to full health, someone’s minutes will have to be sacrificed to get Thomas on the floor.
“My job is not to fit in, it’s to stand out no matter what team I’m on,” he said in response to a question about how he’ll fit in with Morris and Beasley. “I’m going to do whatever I can do get minutes. And I’m going to play to win and help this team get to the next level.”
What Thomas will undoubtedly bring to the Nuggets is leadership and experience, mainly playoff experience, something that Denver doesn’t have a lot of outside of Paul Millsap. He’s already made his impact behind the scenes, cultivating an organic chemistry within the Nuggets’ locker room while acting as an assistant to Michael Malone throughout the first part of the season, coaching up Denver’s young reserves at the end of the bench.
For the last 11 months, two-a-days for Thomas have meant rehab, twice a day. That phase of his recovery is over, but now a new challenge starts. It will be a long process for Thomas to rediscover his game, but he’s chomping at the bit to return, hitting up local gyms while the Nuggets have been on the road, looking for some much-needed cardio and a way to get his wind back.
Now, he’s ready to write his next chapter.
“I know what I can do. I know what I’m capable of. It’s just I hit a bump in the road. I’ve hit a lot of bumps throughout my career, and that’s just my story,” Thomas said. “I’m just going to keep going, and I know at some point that opportunity will come back that I got a few years ago and I’ll take it and run with it.
“I’m not out to prove to nobody what I can do. The world knows what I bring to the table each and every night. I’ve just got to prove that I’m healthy, and that’s the most important thing that I’m looking forward to doing. When I’m healthy, I’m one of the best players in the world. And that’s just facts.”
