Isaiah Thomas never has been accused of underselling himself.
The Boston Celtics point guard is coming off a career season in which he established himself as one of the NBA’s best scorers. Thomas also is set to hit free agency after the 2017-18 campaign, and he expects to be well-compensated: The 28-year-old has told anyone who will listen that he expects Boston to “back up the Brink’s Truck” and give him a maximum contract.
Even as he spends his summer rehabbing a serious hip injury, Thomas’ tune hasn’t changed. The two-time All-Star told the Boston Herald’s Stephen Hewitt on Saturday he’s “very confident” he’ll join the elite group of NBA players on max deals.
“I deserve it,” Thomas told Hewitt at Boston University, where he’s hosting a weekend-long basketball camp for kids. “I put the work in, and you can put me down against any guard in the NBA. … My numbers are up there with the best players in the world, and my team is winning. So, I mean, you have to reward that.”
It’s hard to argue with the stats: Only Russell Westbrook and James Harden averaged more points than Thomas’ 28.9 per game last season, and the guard’s scoring prowess was a big reason why the Celtics finished with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The one knock on Thomas’ game always will be his size (a very generous 5-foot-9), which makes him a defensive liability and raises questions about his durability. But the Little Guy’s confidence remains high as ever.
“My time is gonna come,” Thomas told Hewitt. “I have a lot of faith in God, and I just have to keep working to get better.”
As for that injured hip: Thomas said his rehab is going well and that he expects to be ready by training camp.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
