I'm finally on board.. Thomas should come off the bench

[Granath]

*cough*

I wonder how many still feel that way this morning?

[jbpats]

Considering the Celtics scored 31 points in the first half one could argue that a spark off the bench was greatly needed last night..

[playdream]

IT can start but rest most of the first half(he sucks at it anyway)
And just let him dominate the 2nd half
That's the plan!

[slamtheking]

*cough*

I wonder how many still feel that way this morning?

I do.

I still feel he'd be at his best being the primary scorer off the bench with a player with a more well-rounded PG starting the game.  sadly, we don't have that player on the roster.

[walker834]

I find it funny I'm nowhere to be found in any of these "controversial" celticsblog threads.  Seems like celticsblog created drama to me on both sides.

My take we missed IT and his scoring at times.  Does it really matter who starts?

[wayupnorth]

Disappointing so many people here want this guy to come off the bench just because of his size.

He 100% deserves to start, and is our best player.

[tarheelsxxiii]

*cough*

I wonder how many still feel that way this morning?

I do.

I still feel he'd be at his best being the primary scorer off the bench with a player with a more well-rounded PG starting the game.  sadly, we don't have that player on the roster.

I have to think you're just attempting to save face here.  He single-handedly won our most important game of the season thus far last night. 

You must mean "In the most ideal situation, IT would be the 6th man and leading scorer for the most ideal team in the NBA."  Sure, he'd play that role in GS, for example, really well.  But the fact of the matter is, there are very few guys in the world that can drop 44 on 16 shots against the best defense in the NBA.  Especially while everyone else was playing horribly.  Once he got going, everyone else followed suit. 

I promise you the vast majority of posters would not be watching the games if IT was not on this team / starting.  An important fact that also being missed here is that a glutton of greater scorers in this league either can't or choose not to play defense. 

[Surferdad]

In related news, Tommy Heinsohn said on the broadcast that he has never seen a "little guy" who could score like IT.  I was a bit surprised he didn't mention Allen Iverson, Tiny Archibald, Calvin Murphy...so he's a homer but at least mention Tiny!

[Vermont Green]

drop 44 points on 16 shots against the best defense in the NBA. 

When I saw the box this morning, I couldn't believe it.  That may be a record in single game scoring efficiency.  Obviously he got a lot of calls (17 FTA I think) but that is an amazing game.

I am happy to admit that IT has surprised me.  A year ago I was saying things like "ideally, he would come off the bench".  He has changed my mind or proved me wrong however you want to put it.  He deserves to start.  He deserves to be an all star.  He is a great team guy (always was).

If we trade for, I don't know, Russell Westbrook, then Thomas can come off the bench and I bet he would thrive in that role too.  But for now, you just have to give it to him.  It is true that if he played more defending the back up PG, that would negate his biggest weakness.  You can work in match ups along the trying to get Smart on the starting PG as much as possibe but I want IT in there at the start of the game and the end of the game.

[Donoghus]

Absolutely not.

[tankcity!]

Great game by Thomas. But still think he should come off the bench. He is so bad at defense. I was watching the game last night and yeah he can score. We need scoring so he starts. When we have actual top end talent, he should come off the bench and be our Jamal Crawford.

[walker834]

I think IT should be starting.  He is the catalyst on this team as we spread the floor.  That said I'd be fine with Marcus starting too. I think he still is a bit erratic and has to improve his game in other areas first though.  IT is not a great defender.  Marcus is.  The compliment each other well regardless.  IT should be starting because he is the catalyst right now and Marcus is still young and has some kinks in his game.  IT and Horford are fully developed players at this point.

All that said I'd start Marcus and wouldn't think twice. I think he is that good a leader and defender.  His offense is still a work in progress though. He has very little issue being patient and running an offense though.  Has to work on his turnovers a bit when he does that too though imo. He can get a bit out of control because of his lack of scoring ability right now.

IT is our leader.   MArcus has leadership ability. Both are leaders. So is Horford. I think Marcus is best suited off the bench right now and being a leader for the second unit.

That's what the celtics are doing to. I have no issue with it.  IT needs a rest or gets hurt I'd start Marcus and wouldn't think twice about it.  Maybe give Rozier a shot here and there.

[celticsclay]

Saying IT should come off the bench if we had Westbrook is kind of like saying Drummond should come off the bench if the Pistons get cousins. It doesn't make Drummond a bench player and frankly threads like this are embarrassing to me as a Celtics fan(not singling anyone out by the fact that we have a spirited debate on putting a guy averaging 27 and 7 to the bench makes no sense). These are James harden. Umbers from previous years

[Bobshot]

IT is really a 2. He can take over a game offensively as he did last night. But he can't do that every night. The best way to win consistently is to spread out the scoring and pass for the best shot. That's when the Celtics have always been at their best. Having one guy score all the points is not the way to win.

Against Memphis last night, if they had a guy to control the boards, Memphis wouldn't have had so many 2nd shots, and they would have won the game more easily--without one guy scoring 44 points. It's a sign the team doesn't have enough balance yet to contend.

[mmmmm]

IT is really a 2. He can take over a game offensively as he did last night. But he can't do that every night.

Why is that a requirement in order to be a 1?   What IT has shown is that he can score 20+ points every night (assuming you will accept that doing so in 27 of 28 games counts as "every night").

The best way to win consistently is to spread out the scoring and pass for the best shot. That's when the Celtics have always been at their best. Having one guy score all the points is not the way to win.

Disagree.  The best way to win is for the team to score points the most efficient way possible on each possession.   Whether that is by way of a different guy taking a shot each time down the court or by the same guy taking the shot overtime down the court doesn't matter.

If I have 4 guys who only can score efficiently on a tiny particular subset of shots and plays and 1 guy who always scores with high efficiency on a wide variety of shot types and plays, then I want the one guy taking the vast majority of shots.   I only want those other guys taking shots when they get that particular look that they are good at.