Have these last 7 games changed your opinion on IT?

[Celtic Fan Forever]

It's amazing that we got IT for basically nothing.  I don't even remember who we traded.  DA was spot on with this move.  Now get us a big man to help with the boards and rim so we can get another title.

We got IT for the 1st round pick we got from Cleveland for helping them clear salary for LeBron.  We were able to help them clear salary using the trade exception we got from trading Pierce.

So essentially we got IT for Pierce's trade exception.  Trade exceptions often go unused, but once in awhile they can be franchise altering.  Keep that in mind next time someone shrugs about getting a trade exception.

Don't forget we also gave up Marcus Thornton 

[crimson_stallion]

Bringing the third-leading scorer in the NBA off the bench as a "scoring weapon". Only in Boston.

being the third-leading scorer in the NBA isn't necessarily what most people want in their starting PG. 

there's a difference between bringing him off the bench to primarily score vs not wanting him on the team at all.

Yes, "people" want a true PG. Someone like Rajon Rondo. Man, it would work just swell if we could have Rajon Rondo instead of Isaiah Thomas, right?

Rondo was actually winning this match-up pretty handily before he got hurt. People seem to be blanking on the negatives IT has displayed alongside the brilliant positives.

IT is great when he gets to run 50 high PNRs with 4 shooters against defenses with traditional, paint-oriented bigs. Incidentally, so is Lou Williams.

But he's still a bad defender even then and when you take away his optimum scoring environment, (as was the case in the 2015 and 2016 playoffs), he stays bad defensively while his offensive efficiency tanks.

That's why Rondo is watching IT play from his TV set. PLEASE stop the nonsense, Rondo was not winning ANYTHING.

To be fair, he's actually right. 

As hard as it is to believe, Rondo was I think defending Thomas one-on-one better than I've ever seen anybody else defend him.  His quickness, IQ, toughness and length were giving Thomas a lot of trouble.

But those first two games were also very emotional for Thomas, and I have no doubts that affected him.  No way to see how the matchup would have gone if Rondo didn't get injured, but you can't take anything away from Rondo - he played Thomas as well as anybody has.

If the anti-Isaiah rhetoric continues, I'm going to get myself banned.  HIS ****ING SISTER DIED. And today was her birthday. How can that go so unappreciated?

What the are you rambling about? There is no anti-Isaiah rhetoric anywhere but in your own head.

Nobody us unappreciative what Thomas is doing.  I'm seeing nothing but praise for him here and everywhere.

All I said is that Rondo was playing Thomas extremely well, and was making things very difficult for him.  That's not rhetoric, that is a fact.

Rondo played two games, and in those games we were 0-2 (despite both being at home). 
Rondo missed four games, and in those games we were 4-0.

I'm not saying that Boston only won the series because Rondo got injured - to suggest this would be making up stuff on the spot, as there is no way to prove that.  All I'm saying is that Rondo did do a very good job on Thomas, and it's not a coincidence that our toughest games against Chicago came in the two games that Rondo played in. 

[CelticsElite]

Is it possible we didn't get demarcus  cousins based on Intel from IT? it must known everything about cousins

I bet cousins is the reason IT never broke out in Sacramento

[Celtic Fan Forever]

Is it possible we didn't get demarcus  cousins based on Intel from IT? it must known everything about cousins

I bet cousins is the reason IT never broke out in Sacramento

It would make sense. If IT really wanted Cousins here, he would've made it known. It's not like it would've taken a lot to get him. I'm sure he wasn't on board with the idea.

[cousytoheinsohn]

No, not at all. He's one of the greatest players in the NBA, as usual, as always.

He's gonna be in Boston for a long, long time.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Bringing the third-leading scorer in the NBA off the bench as a "scoring weapon". Only in Boston.

being the third-leading scorer in the NBA isn't necessarily what most people want in their starting PG. 

there's a difference between bringing him off the bench to primarily score vs not wanting him on the team at all.

Yes, "people" want a true PG. Someone like Rajon Rondo. Man, it would work just swell if we could have Rajon Rondo instead of Isaiah Thomas, right?

Rondo was actually winning this match-up pretty handily before he got hurt. People seem to be blanking on the negatives IT has displayed alongside the brilliant positives.

IT is great when he gets to run 50 high PNRs with 4 shooters against defenses with traditional, paint-oriented bigs. Incidentally, so is Lou Williams.

But he's still a bad defender even then and when you take away his optimum scoring environment, (as was the case in the 2015 and 2016 playoffs), he stays bad defensively while his offensive efficiency tanks.

That's why Rondo is watching IT play from his TV set. PLEASE stop the nonsense, Rondo was not winning ANYTHING.

To be fair, he's actually right. 

As hard as it is to believe, Rondo was I think defending Thomas one-on-one better than I've ever seen anybody else defend him.  His quickness, IQ, toughness and length were giving Thomas a lot of trouble.

But those first two games were also very emotional for Thomas, and I have no doubts that affected him.  No way to see how the matchup would have gone if Rondo didn't get injured, but you can't take anything away from Rondo - he played Thomas as well as anybody has.

If the anti-Isaiah rhetoric continues, I'm going to get myself banned.  HIS ****ING SISTER DIED. And today was her birthday. How can that go so unappreciated?

What the are you rambling about? There is no anti-Isaiah rhetoric anywhere but in your own head.

Nobody us unappreciative what Thomas is doing.  I'm seeing nothing but praise for him here and everywhere.

All I said is that Rondo was playing Thomas extremely well, and was making things very difficult for him.  That's not rhetoric, that is a fact.

Rondo played two games, and in those games we were 0-2 (despite both being at home). 
Rondo missed four games, and in those games we were 4-0.

I'm not saying that Boston only won the series because Rondo got injured - to suggest this would be making up stuff on the spot, as there is no way to prove that.  All I'm saying is that Rondo did do a very good job on Thomas, and it's not a coincidence that our toughest games against Chicago came in the two games that Rondo played in.

My apology.  I wasn't aware we were down 0-2 and won in 6.  Thanks.  Glad you've chosen not to make stuff up, especially on the spot. But there's a sizeable contingent here that believes he's trade bait, better suited as the Celtics' 6th man, or not worth a max contract.  Feeding into that is insulting, so I assume you hadn't come across those threads and continued posts.

[RockinRyA]

Bringing the third-leading scorer in the NBA off the bench as a "scoring weapon". Only in Boston.

being the third-leading scorer in the NBA isn't necessarily what most people want in their starting PG. 

there's a difference between bringing him off the bench to primarily score vs not wanting him on the team at all.

Yes, "people" want a true PG. Someone like Rajon Rondo. Man, it would work just swell if we could have Rajon Rondo instead of Isaiah Thomas, right?

Rondo was actually winning this match-up pretty handily before he got hurt. People seem to be blanking on the negatives IT has displayed alongside the brilliant positives.

IT is great when he gets to run 50 high PNRs with 4 shooters against defenses with traditional, paint-oriented bigs. Incidentally, so is Lou Williams.

But he's still a bad defender even then and when you take away his optimum scoring environment, (as was the case in the 2015 and 2016 playoffs), he stays bad defensively while his offensive efficiency tanks.

That's why Rondo is watching IT play from his TV set. PLEASE stop the nonsense, Rondo was not winning ANYTHING.

To be fair, he's actually right. 

As hard as it is to believe, Rondo was I think defending Thomas one-on-one better than I've ever seen anybody else defend him.  His quickness, IQ, toughness and length were giving Thomas a lot of trouble.

But those first two games were also very emotional for Thomas, and I have no doubts that affected him.  No way to see how the matchup would have gone if Rondo didn't get injured, but you can't take anything away from Rondo - he played Thomas as well as anybody has.

If the anti-Isaiah rhetoric continues, I'm going to get myself banned.  HIS ****ING SISTER DIED. And today was her birthday. How can that go so unappreciated?

What the are you rambling about? There is no anti-Isaiah rhetoric anywhere but in your own head.

Nobody us unappreciative what Thomas is doing.  I'm seeing nothing but praise for him here and everywhere.

All I said is that Rondo was playing Thomas extremely well, and was making things very difficult for him.  That's not rhetoric, that is a fact.

Rondo played two games, and in those games we were 0-2 (despite both being at home). 
Rondo missed four games, and in those games we were 4-0.

I'm not saying that Boston only won the series because Rondo got injured - to suggest this would be making up stuff on the spot, as there is no way to prove that.  All I'm saying is that Rondo did do a very good job on Thomas, and it's not a coincidence that our toughest games against Chicago came in the two games that Rondo played in.

My apology.  I wasn't aware we were down 0-2 and won in 6.  Thanks.  Glad you've chosen not to make stuff up, especially on the spot. But there's a sizeable contingent here that believes he's trade bait, better suited as the Celtics' 6th man, or not worth a max contract.  Feeding into that is insulting, so I assume you hadn't come across those threads and continued posts.

Its dumbfounding how one can miss those.

[tarheelsxxiii]

Bringing the third-leading scorer in the NBA off the bench as a "scoring weapon". Only in Boston.

being the third-leading scorer in the NBA isn't necessarily what most people want in their starting PG. 

there's a difference between bringing him off the bench to primarily score vs not wanting him on the team at all.

Yes, "people" want a true PG. Someone like Rajon Rondo. Man, it would work just swell if we could have Rajon Rondo instead of Isaiah Thomas, right?

Rondo was actually winning this match-up pretty handily before he got hurt. People seem to be blanking on the negatives IT has displayed alongside the brilliant positives.

IT is great when he gets to run 50 high PNRs with 4 shooters against defenses with traditional, paint-oriented bigs. Incidentally, so is Lou Williams.

But he's still a bad defender even then and when you take away his optimum scoring environment, (as was the case in the 2015 and 2016 playoffs), he stays bad defensively while his offensive efficiency tanks.

That's why Rondo is watching IT play from his TV set. PLEASE stop the nonsense, Rondo was not winning ANYTHING.

To be fair, he's actually right. 

As hard as it is to believe, Rondo was I think defending Thomas one-on-one better than I've ever seen anybody else defend him.  His quickness, IQ, toughness and length were giving Thomas a lot of trouble.

But those first two games were also very emotional for Thomas, and I have no doubts that affected him.  No way to see how the matchup would have gone if Rondo didn't get injured, but you can't take anything away from Rondo - he played Thomas as well as anybody has.

If the anti-Isaiah rhetoric continues, I'm going to get myself banned.  HIS ****ING SISTER DIED. And today was her birthday. How can that go so unappreciated?

What the are you rambling about? There is no anti-Isaiah rhetoric anywhere but in your own head.

Nobody us unappreciative what Thomas is doing.  I'm seeing nothing but praise for him here and everywhere.

All I said is that Rondo was playing Thomas extremely well, and was making things very difficult for him.  That's not rhetoric, that is a fact.

Rondo played two games, and in those games we were 0-2 (despite both being at home). 
Rondo missed four games, and in those games we were 4-0.

I'm not saying that Boston only won the series because Rondo got injured - to suggest this would be making up stuff on the spot, as there is no way to prove that.  All I'm saying is that Rondo did do a very good job on Thomas, and it's not a coincidence that our toughest games against Chicago came in the two games that Rondo played in.

My apology.  I wasn't aware we were down 0-2 and won in 6.  Thanks.  Glad you've chosen not to make stuff up, especially on the spot. But there's a sizeable contingent here that believes he's trade bait, better suited as the Celtics' 6th man, or not worth a max contract.  Feeding into that is insulting, so I assume you hadn't come across those threads and continued posts.

Its dumbfounding how one can miss those.

Agreed, I'm pretty embarrassed.  Horford paid IT his due in the post game presser though, esp from 3 - 4:15 mins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OWSdEc21lw

[the TRUTH]

To answer the OP, yes. More specifically, what he did tonight changed my opinion of him. He'd been outstanding for the first 7 games of the playoffs, but took it to another gear (or two) tonight. Heading into this game, I saw him as a really good/great player, but not a top 10 (or better) player in the NBA.

He played like a top FIVE player in the league down the stretch tonight and carried us to a huge win in the playoffs. To me, that was the next step he had to take in his development, and he's now done it. There are plenty of other players in the league that are generally regarded as better players than he is, but very few of them will ever come close to matching what IT did in Game 2 against the Wizards. We probably won't win the title this year, but that was still one of the best individual playoff performances in Celtic history.

[Somebody]

I dunno but since the month of January he's been a top 5 nba player imo this season, now he's top 3 in my mind this season

[Roy H.]

Is it possible we didn't get demarcus  cousins based on Intel from IT? it must known everything about cousins

I bet cousins is the reason IT never broke out in Sacramento

It would make sense. If IT really wanted Cousins here, he would've made it known. It's not like it would've taken a lot to get him. I'm sure he wasn't on board with the idea.

He did make it known.

"If he came to Boston, that would be good, really good," Thomas told Sporting News last week, walking near the Barclays Center court in Brooklyn after the Celtics’ preseason win over the Nets. "The thing is, I’ve got his respect. I’ve always had that."

His tweet after the trade:

I don't even think @NBA2K would let that trade happen even with the trade override option off LOL

It doesn't sound like he had an issue with Cousins.

Also, he did break out in Sacramento. Management was just too dumb to see it.

[Androslav]

These playoffs showed me that IT is tougher than I thought. He is tough as nails.

Correction: He is tough as teeth!
Simply marvelous.

[crimson_stallion]

Bringing the third-leading scorer in the NBA off the bench as a "scoring weapon". Only in Boston.

being the third-leading scorer in the NBA isn't necessarily what most people want in their starting PG. 

there's a difference between bringing him off the bench to primarily score vs not wanting him on the team at all.

Yes, "people" want a true PG. Someone like Rajon Rondo. Man, it would work just swell if we could have Rajon Rondo instead of Isaiah Thomas, right?

Rondo was actually winning this match-up pretty handily before he got hurt. People seem to be blanking on the negatives IT has displayed alongside the brilliant positives.

IT is great when he gets to run 50 high PNRs with 4 shooters against defenses with traditional, paint-oriented bigs. Incidentally, so is Lou Williams.

But he's still a bad defender even then and when you take away his optimum scoring environment, (as was the case in the 2015 and 2016 playoffs), he stays bad defensively while his offensive efficiency tanks.

That's why Rondo is watching IT play from his TV set. PLEASE stop the nonsense, Rondo was not winning ANYTHING.

To be fair, he's actually right. 

As hard as it is to believe, Rondo was I think defending Thomas one-on-one better than I've ever seen anybody else defend him.  His quickness, IQ, toughness and length were giving Thomas a lot of trouble.

But those first two games were also very emotional for Thomas, and I have no doubts that affected him.  No way to see how the matchup would have gone if Rondo didn't get injured, but you can't take anything away from Rondo - he played Thomas as well as anybody has.

If the anti-Isaiah rhetoric continues, I'm going to get myself banned.  HIS ****ING SISTER DIED. And today was her birthday. How can that go so unappreciated?

What the are you rambling about? There is no anti-Isaiah rhetoric anywhere but in your own head.

Nobody us unappreciative what Thomas is doing.  I'm seeing nothing but praise for him here and everywhere.

All I said is that Rondo was playing Thomas extremely well, and was making things very difficult for him.  That's not rhetoric, that is a fact.

Rondo played two games, and in those games we were 0-2 (despite both being at home). 
Rondo missed four games, and in those games we were 4-0.

I'm not saying that Boston only won the series because Rondo got injured - to suggest this would be making up stuff on the spot, as there is no way to prove that.  All I'm saying is that Rondo did do a very good job on Thomas, and it's not a coincidence that our toughest games against Chicago came in the two games that Rondo played in.

My apology.  I wasn't aware we were down 0-2 and won in 6.  Thanks.  Glad you've chosen not to make stuff up, especially on the spot. But there's a sizeable contingent here that believes he's trade bait, better suited as the Celtics' 6th man, or not worth a max contract.  Feeding into that is insulting, so I assume you hadn't come across those threads and continued posts.

I saw tons of Thomas trade bait comments during the season, and I thought those comments were silly. 

The man has been our undisputed leader, is a top 5 scorer in this league, and is statistically the most clutch player in the NBA right now (4th quarter stats don't lie).  A guy like that is irreplaceable, and you cannot begin to quantify how critical he is to this team's success.

But for all the trade bait threads I saw floating around during the season, I've not seen any floating around since the playoffs started.  Thomas has performed like an absolute machine under the most incredible adversity, and everywhere I've gone all I have heard is comments about how amazing his play is, and how much respect he has earned from everybody around the league.

I absolutely love IT.  He is the heart and soul of this team, he plays with the heart of a true warrior, and he is a Celtic in every regard.

But I'm not a biased man - I say it how it is.  And the truth of the matter is that Rondo did a really good job on Thomas in those first two games, and he did disrupt his game. 

That's no knock on Thomas.  Rondo is a 10 year veteran.  He's an NBA Champion.  He's a 4x All-Star selection.  He's a 4x All-Defensive Team selection.  He's probably one of of the top 2 or 3 highest IQ guys in the league. 

I know Rondo isn't the same superstar player he once was, but he still has a lot of his quickness, he's still got his length, he's still got his basketball IQ.  When he is dialed in and motivated, he's still capable of being one of the top defensive PG's in the NBA - so there is no shame in saying that he did a good job defensively on Thomas.  There's nothing to say Thomas would not have made adjustments, ans then would have gone on to dominate anyway. 

None of this takes way from the incredibly impressive playoff run Thomas is having this year.It's just an observation.

[Big333223]

Wow. What a graphic.

[Tr1boy]

Can't pintpoint from which playoff game...but the passing and trusts in other players is way up now

He now knows in a split sec...when to pass or score.....   He has cut down taking ill advised/quick shots

And he looks more patient out on the floor not asking for the ball all the time....

definitely has taken his game to another level... good for him