After struggling through the first half of the NBA season, and especially so in recent weeks, the Cleveland Cavaliers shuffled nearly half of their roster at Thursday’s trade deadline, including, most notably, star point guard Isaiah Thomas being sent in a package deal to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In only 15 games since returning from a hip injury, Thomas quickly became a popular scapegoat for blame. Of course, it didn’t help that he was shooting 36.1 percent from the field and the team was losing, but when everything looks bad, bad looks even worse.
LeBron James has never been one to shy away from being critical of his teammates, either, but when asked about Thomas’ departure, LeBron acknowledged the nagging injuries and offered sympathy in Thomas’ road to recovery.
“Being out seven months is difficult for anybody, and I felt like he was playing the eight ball,” said James.
In those seven months, it’s hard to say just how far Thomas’ value has fallen – he went from being a crucial piece in the Kyrie Irving trade to being packaged with a first-round pick (as well as Channing Frye) for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance. As a free agent this summer, we’ll find out just how much teams believe Thomas to be worth.
Hopefully, he can rehab his value on a young Los Angeles Lakers team. Fifteen games is rarely enough for a recovering player to get back into peak form, but with some time, Thomas may return to his All-Star form from last season.
Remember, progress is measured in inches.
(H/T: FTW)
