Cleveland Cavaliers: Isaiah Thomas could form dynamic duos with Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade

Playing Isaiah Thomas with Derrick Rose or Dwyane Wade could provide the Cleveland Cavaliers with two of their most dangerous lineups.

With the impending return of point guard Isaiah Thomas, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ versatility will soon be on full display. His ability to form a dynamic duo with both point guard Derrick Rose and shooting guard Dwyane Wade will present the Cavs with a chance to play lineups predicated on speed (Rose) and basketball IQ (Wade) that will, hopefully, give the team different ways to defeat the opposition.

The fiery Thomas stands at 5-foot-9 but his catch-and-shoot ability makes him the best off-ball threat at the position. It also allows him to share the floor with another playmaker in the backcourt with no issue; Thomas is at his best with the ball in his hands but isn’t so ball-dominant that he’s unable to play beside players who thrive when allowed to create for themselves and others.

That should be music to Rose’s ears, whose playability increases with an ability to play beside Thomas. On the offensive end, Thomas’ all-around scoring ability contrasts nicely with Rose’s inclination to attack the basket. In addition, lineups with Thomas, Rose (and LeBron James) are ones where the Cavs will be able to attack the paint relentlessly and use their speed to not just dominate on the offensive end but to tire other teams out throughout the course of the game. Combining the Rose and James drives per game this season with Thomas’ last season, the trio would average 32.6 drives per game and 24.5 points per game on drives with no player shooting below 51.2 percent on their attempts.

That’s not an exact science as Thomas will have the ball less and drive less this season. Rose and James will have less opportunity to attack when Thomas returns, for the same reason that Thomas’ opportunities will decrease: there’s only one ball.

Nonetheless, they’ll still form a three-man unit that can dominate the interior of a defense. Replace James with a player like Jeff Green (an elite athlete capable of handling the ball in bursts) in the lineup and the Cavs still have a three-man unit that can destroy the paint, just one where Thomas and Rose do the bulk of the heavy lifting. Considering that the two averaged 46.9 points per game combined last season, that doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

In a super-small lineup, the Cavs can play James or Green at center while attacking the teeth of the defense relentlessly because of the floor space that small-ball lineups provide.

Ultimately, playing athletic players like J.R. Smith and ones that always seem to be in ready to make a run for the rim like Jae Crowder will be best for these small lineups. That’s not just because of the pace that the two can play but because of the three-point shooting and defense both can provide. Shooting that will come in handy as perimeter players break down their man off-the-dribble and get into the lane. Defense that will come in handy in the event that Thomas or Rose are matched up against an explosive scorer an uber-athlete.

Even if the Cavs opted to play Tristan Thompson at center, a move that would give them an elite rebounder and versatile defender who can play with relentless hustle, Thomas and James are big-time three-point threats. Whether Smith or Crowder joins them, there are enough three-point threats for Rose to have room to operate off-the-dribble without cause for pause.

More from Cavs Analysis

With a Thomas and Wade pairing, the identity of the unit is going to be a bit different although Wade likes to attack the rim too. Playing these two “students of the game” with James, Kyle Korver and Kevin Love at center gives the Cavs a lineup with five high-IQ players who can use their intelligence and experience to make plays for themselves or others. In addition, this is a lineup where the Cavs’ Big Three could look more like a Big Four thanks to the flashes of vintage Wade.

With four players who can knock in threes at a high-clip and Wade, who has been able to make 35.7 percent of his threes this season (a career-high), the floor spacing will be magnificent and the paint left virtually wide open for James, Wade and Thomas to make their moves in the lane.

In addition, this is another lineup where James can be replaced and the team still be effective. Both Crowder and Channing Frye are high-IQ options to replace James in the lineup and the threat of their three-point shot will keep the lanes open for Thomas and Wade to attack the rim. Replacing James with Thompson could also work despite the diminished floor space the Cavs would have, as the attention the Cavs receive on the outside and their ability to find Thompson inside could allow him to dominate.

Defensively, while a perimeter unit of Thomas, Wade and Korver might not look appealing these are three players that give maximum effort on the defensive end. Despite his reputation, that’s even true for Wade. Their experience and scrappiness allows them to make impact plays on the defensive end as well.

Allowing Thomas and Wade to be the primary playmakers while James rests would be a solid option. They combined for 47.2 points and 9.7 assists per game last season.

Thomas’ ability to be an all-around scoring threat should draw a lot of attention and give Wade plenty of opportunities to go one-on-one. Should he start drawing double-teams, the collective IQ of this unit – as they whip the ball around to find the open man – could make it a long night for other team.

Thomas’ return indeed opens up a world of possibilities for the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers.

Game. Set. Match.

*All stats gathered from www.basketball-reference.com and stats.nba.com