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Cleveland Cavaliers: What impact will Isaiah Thomas’ return have on the rotation

By Nathan Beighle

INDEPENDENCE, OH - SEPTEMBER 7: Isaiah Thomas is introduced as a Cleveland Cavalier at Cleveland Clinic Courts on September 7, 2017 in Independence, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
INDEPENDENCE, OH - SEPTEMBER 7: Isaiah Thomas is introduced as a Cleveland Cavalier at Cleveland Clinic Courts on September 7, 2017 in Independence, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are expecting Isaiah Thomas to return before their Christmas Day game and his presence will certainly alter their rotation.

Isaiah Thomas’ return will be sooner rather than later. The 2017 MVP candidate will hopefully be the Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting point guard as they take on their rival, the Golden State Warriors, on Christmas Day.

Thomas’ return will shift Jose Calderon, who has been playing spectacular, back to the bench. His return should also have an impact on players like Jae Crowder, Thomas’ current and former teammate. That said, the starting lineup should become Thomas-Smith-Crowder-James-Love.

Now, let’s skip ahead to the fourth quarter. Crunch time.

Say it’s a close ball game (less than 10 points separating the teams). Who does head coach Tyronn Lue call upon?

So far this season, LeBron James, Kyle Korver, Dwyane Wade, Jeff Green, JR Smith and Kevin Love have received the most fourth-quarter minutes per game – in that order.

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If you add Thomas, you likely take away Dwyane Wade.

Wade has certain characteristics that make him valuable. For starters, he’s leading one of the NBA’s best second units while still putting up 11.5 points per game. However, what – hopefully – happens is Thomas takes some fourth quarter minutes from Wade.

In turn, Lue can play the second unit longer throughout the first half — ultimately decreasing LeBron James minutes.

Or, you can take away Kevin Love, who has been disastrous in the fourth quarter as both Wade and Love have been subpar in the fourth quarter, shooting 40.9% and 27.3% respectively.

Leading up to the fourth quarter, Thomas’ return should really only impact Jose Calderon, but when it hits the fourth quarter, all bets are off. Thomas averaged 9.8 points per game in the fourth quarter alone, so he will certainly be demanding some late game floor time.

Last season, Thomas was relied on as the primary scorer and with the Cleveland Cavaliers surging on offense right now, it will be interesting to see how he fits in with the starting unit. While it’s unlikely Jose Calderon is more popular than Isaiah Thomas, Calderon’s fit and defensive presence in the starting unit might be missed when Thomas returns.

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Ultimately, Thomas’ return should hardly impact the rotation. The return of both Tristan Thompson and Derrick Rose, two players that have unique talents, should create a far bigger stir in how Lue handles his minutes.