WALTHAM, Mass. – Isaiah Thomas doesn’t have to go far these days to get praise.
Teammates, opponents, coaches … no matter where you turn, everyone seems to have lots of love for the 5-foot-9 playmaker.
All that positivity has a way of chipping away at the Teflon-strong chip that Thomas carries around with him.
While Thomas has indeed had a breakout season that led to his lone All-Star appearance, he’s trying to put together a body of work that will allow him to check off another item on his basketball bucket list by season’s end.
“Yeah. My next goal, I want to be All-NBA,” Thomas said. “I always try to find things to motivate me; I’m a goal-orientated guy.”
That is how it has to be for Thomas, the 60th and final player selected in the 2011 NBA draft.
His entire basketball journey has been one uphill battle after another, defying the odds heavily stacked against him that he would even be in the league let alone an All-Star in this, his fifth season.
Thomas’ play has left many wishing they could have a do-over in their dealings with him.
Phoenix Suns GM Ryan McDonough, a former Celtics assistant GM, was the man who traded Thomas to Boston.
In a recent interview, McDonough acknowledged that trading Thomas was a mistake.
“It feels good to finally hear him say that,” Thomas said, grinning. “I’m focused here on the Celtics. I’m not focused on the past. It was nice to see someone say something like that.”
Thomas says he’s “always felt overlooked,” but added that since him being named an All-Star, “guys are liking what I do I guess.”
There’s more respect of late for Thomas’ game because he’s bringing more to the floor than ever.
“The game is slowing down for me,” Thomas said. “I think I’m a better decision-maker. I’m not just trying to score every time. That’s something I’ve done my whole life. Scoring has been easy for me. Now it’s just trying to pick and choose my spots, knowing when to be aggressive for myself and when to get other guys going. My next step is just becoming a more complete basketball player.”
He has made noticeable strides along those lines this season, averaging a career-high 6.8 assists per game this season.
And while he has had better games statistically than the 112-107 win over Milwaukee on Thursday night, Celtics coach Brad Stevens praised his point guard for what he thought was one of his more balanced, impactful games as a Celtic.
“It’s about making the right basketball read,” Stevens said. “Whether that is scoring off the drive, or making a hook pass like he did last night, or whether that is just moving the ball and getting us into offense. It’s about making the right read at the right time. He did a really good job of that [against Milwaukee].”
And he will look to build off that Saturday afternoon against the Miami Heat, showcasing an evolving all-around game despite most still viewing him as a scoring guard only.
“You score too much, guys say you don’t pass enough,” Thomas said. “You pass too much like [ex-Celtic Rajon] Rondo, they say you can’t score. They’re always going to say something. You just have to take what the defense gives you.”
And doing so will continue to bring about praise, something Thomas is slowly but surely getting used to receiving.