Isaiah Thomas should help resurrect the Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are in a slump, and Isaiah Thomas will resurrect them before it gets too ugly.

After a 5-7 start to the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back and won 19 of their next 21, climaxed by a 13-game win streak. Then, Christmas came around. The Cavaliers played a complete game against the Warriors but struggled from the field. Then, for the first time over a month, the Cavs lost back to back games, dropping their next game to the Sacramento Kings, a game that shouldn’t have even been close.

James struggle, while could be due to leading the league in minutes per game, could also be from having the pressure of leading the team by himself on his shoulders. However, Thomas could help alleviate that pressure. Thomas’ ability to be the third dynamic scorer on this team will be one of the main benefits from his return.

Love and James are surrounded by shooters like JR Smith, Kyle Korver, Channing Frye, Jose Calderon, and Jae Crowder. LeBron James and Kevin Love are the only two Cavs that can consistently create a shot for themselves. Isaiah Thomas will join that club.

Thomas did most of the work last season in Boston by himself. Of his 682 buckets, over 55% of those were unassisted. To add to that, Boston ended last season with the East’s best record that means Thomas’ one-man show resulted in over 53 wins, two more than the Kyrie Irving and LeBron James-led Cavs.

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Thomas can also get buckets with defender smothering him, which will be crucial late in any game, especially against Golden State. Last season, Thomas shot over 50% on shots with a defender either “tight” or “very tight”, according to NBA.com.

Along with his ability to create his own shot, Thomas’ overall scoring ability will be needed in Cleveland. The Cavaliers score the league’s fifth most points per game; however, their starters score the thirteenth most points per game. Unlike in seasons past, their second unit has been dynamic this season, but against Golden State and in the playoffs in general, that second unit will see fewer minutes, and Lue’s rotation may shrink from 10 players to just 8. That said, the Cavs need to have that additional scoring presence.

Here’s a perfect example of how Thomas, while only 5-foot-9 can be explosive, especially with the Cavaliers array of shooters spacing the court.

Many think that Thomas’ ability to score was a fluke, but many also don’t realize that the former Husky scored over 28 points per game last season and played in all but six games. Thomas also made a career-high 3.2 threes per game last season, so while being a dynamic scorer, he’ll also be able to help keep the floor spaced for LeBron James.

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Thomas’ impact cannot be understated, and his return should give the Cavs another excellent offensive force to add to one of the league’s most lethal starting units.

That said, it could also make them one of the league’s worst defensive teams. Could a trade for a defensive goliath like DeAndre Jordan be in the mix?