Isaiah Thomas’ season officially is over, and the Boston Celtics’ campaign likely isn’t far behind. But what a season it was for the diminutive point guard.
Thomas was ruled out for the remainder of the NBA playoffs Saturday with a significant right hip injury that he re-aggravated in Game 2 of Boston’s Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Shortly after the team made the announcement, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge thanked Thomas on Twitter for what he described as a “legendary” season.
Legendary season by @Isaiah_Thomas 💪🏼With the personal tragedy and injuries he's overcome, getting through game 7 was heroic#thelittleguy
— Danny Ainge (@danielrainge) May 20, 2017
There are plenty of facts to back up Ainge’s statement. Thomas led the Eastern Conference in scoring during the regular season with 28.9 points per game, and his 2,199 points were the fifth-most ever by a Celtics player in a single campaign. The 28-year-old also averaged 5.9 assists per contest, earning second-team All-NBA honors as one of the 10 best players in the league.
Thomas continued his success into the postseason, averaging 23.3 points per game despite grieving from the tragic death of his sister and dropping a career-high 53 points in a thrilling win over the Washington Wizards in the second round.
There still are questions about Thomas’ future in Boston, though, as the Celtics have a very good chance of selecting another point guard, Washington’s Markelle Fultz, with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA draft. A report also surfaced recently that Ainge attempted to trade Thomas for a lottery pick during last year’s draft.
But those questions won’t be answered any time soon, so it’s worth reflecting now on Thomas’ awe-inspiring season that will be difficult for any Celtics player to duplicate.
Boston will head to Cleveland on Sunday night for Game 3 after getting blown out in Games 1 and 2 at TD Garden.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
