Cleveland Cavaliers: Ranking the team’s top 10 current players

No. 3: Isaiah Thomas

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Isaiah Thomas has yet to play a game as a Cleveland Cavalier, but his return is imminent. Thomas was the main scorer and distributor for the Boston Celtics last season and was also one of the top 10 MVP candidates.

The only real knock on Thomas’ game is his defense. Thomas, due to his height at 5-foot-9, struggles to guard other taller, more physical point guards. The Cavaliers are already in the bottom half of the league in defensive rating, and IT’s return, while making the offense virtually unguardable, could also make their defensive struggles even more obvious.

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But, there are far more positives than negatives. Last season, Thomas averaged 28.9 points per game and 3.2 triples per game. He was also one of the best fourth-quarter players in the entire NBA last season. He averaged 9.8 of his 28.9 in the fourth which only trailed Russell Westbrook, who averaged 10 points per game in the fourth.

Ultimately, Tyronn Lue will really have a challenge figuring out the best lineups and situations in which to use Isaiah Thomas. However, the impact Thomas should have on the team and the success that is almost guaranteed puts him as the Cavaliers third best player.