Celtics Backcourt Dilemma: Should Isaiah Thomas Start?

Boston Celtics coaching legend Red Auerbach is often credited for creating the NBA’s sixth man role as we’ve come to know it today, the idea of a player talented enough to start instead coming off the bench to impact the game as the team’s first substitute. The Celtics have had great ones throughout the years, starting with 7-time champion Frank Ramsey. The Celtics all-time leading scorer and a 13-time All-Star, John Havilcek is likely the league’s most celebrated sixth man, and Kevin McHale and Bill Walton won three of the NBA’s first four Sixth Man of the Year awards, McHale in 1984 and ’85 and Walton in ’86.

The Celtics have another great one currently on the roster, the dynamic point guard Isaiah Thomas. After coming over from Phoenix late last season, Thomas led the Celtics on a charge to the playoffs, averaging 19 points per game in 21 appearances, coming off the bench each time. Listed at just 5’9″, Thomas still managed to get to the free throw line nearly seven times a game, while also contributing 5.4 assists. He was unequivocally the team’s best player down the stretch.

Boston now faces a dilemma of what to do with Thomas going into this season. He averaged just 26 minutes per game last year and his level of productivity warrants more time on the court. The Celtics are heavily invested, however, in last year’s lottery pick, Marcus Smart, developing into the team’s starting point guard. Thomas hasn’t made any demands to start himself, but he did play that role in 153 of his first 216 career games, all with Sacramento, and it’s unlikely he’d turn down the chance to do so again. Whether he gets it in Boston will come down to his performance vis–à–vis Smart.

Last year Thomas played so well that the question of starting him became unavoidable. In late February coach Brad Stevens insisted he was comfortable with his starting backcourt at the time, Smart and Avery Bradley, and he stuck to his guns the rest of the year. Thomas could very well come out of the gate blazing and force the issue again. Stevens isn’t one to crack under outside pressure, but the cries for Thomas to take the reins could get very loud.

They will become deafening if Smart himself struggles to handle the role in his second season. He played better in the second half of his rookie year, but finished the season averaging 7.8 points, less than half of Thomas’ output, while playing more minutes. He struggled shooting the ball, a common tendency for rookies, averaging just 37% from the field. He did thrive on the defensive end, however. Smart is listed at 6′ 4″, and with his size he’s capable of guarding multiple positions, a luxury Thomas doesn’t have.

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Obviously, the Celtics hope Smart’s offensive game progresses, and that really is the best-case scenario for the team. He has arguably the highest ceiling of any player currently on the roster, the potential to become a really good pro. Thomas doesn’t seem unsatisfied coming off the bench, and he and Smart will make an exciting duo when they do get to share the court.

With Boston looking to improve on last year’s 7th seed, having a player as talented as Thomas in the sixth man role gives them an edge over the majority of the league’s second units, and he’ll be ready to step into the first five should Smart stumble. Making things work with the two is a happy predicament for Stevens. It will take some time for him to figure out Boston’s most effective rotation, but both players will have their opportunities. Thomas has proven he’s more than capable of making a significant impact in a short amount of time. Whether or not he’s on the floor for the opening tip, the Celtics will look to him to lead in his first full year with the team.

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