Isaiah Thomas made his first start with the Washington Wizards on Monday and helped his team grab a win against the Detroit Pistons. In the 99-115 at Capital One Arena, Thomas dropped 9 points and chipped in 6 assists giving the Wizards their second win of the season.
The Wizards have been without All-Star Point Guard John Wall since the beginning of last season after the former Kentucky Wildcat tore his Achilles in an accident at home. Hurting for a PG, the Wizards tapped another former All-Star in the form of Isaiah Thomas who has been effective for the franchise thus far.
Fans will remember the trials the 5’9 former Boston Celtic went through the past few seasons. Thomas’ sister passed away prior to the start of the 2017 playoffs. Following the season, Thomas who was averaging a career-high 28 points a game was traded unexpectedly to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Thomas was also dealing with an injury as he bounced around from Cleveland to Los Angeles and Denver. “I chose the Wizards because they looked me in the eye and told me they would give me an opportunity and I can’t thank them enough,” Thomas told reporters after the game. So far in 2019, Thomas is averaging 14.5 points and 7 assists.
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) November 5, 2019
Thomas’ success with the Celtics put him in line for a major payday, but the trade and a lingering hip injury kept him from ever getting that long term big-money contract. The Wizards signed Thomas to a 1-year deal, an opportunity that Thomas wanted to prove his worth.