IT: “tell Boston I’ll come back for a year lol”

[RJ87]

And, it's a cliche, but why is he still available? He's unrestricted, and if he had anything near what his proponents in this thread claim, he'd already have a deal.

Because the Celtics' former medical staff misdiagnosed a hip injury and IT derailed his own career trying to gut through it while getting the team to the Conference Finals for the first time since kicking off their rebuild.

More generally, some of the things that get said about IT around the general Celtics internet because certain people got their underwear in a bunch over a guy who was garnering MVP votes wanting to be paid like an all-star in the midst of the spendiest period in league history are absurd.  Thomas pulled the franchise out of the shadow of the KG/Pierce years and then got dumped after shooting himself physically putting the team first. For some reason people treat him like some Celtics villain.

Isaiah could've had surgery a year ago and been in a much better position as far as free agency than he is now. He opted not to, that was his choice.

And the vast majority of posters here against bringing him back aren't making him a villain, just pointing out the obvious issues. The pro-IT crowd keep harping on who he was 2 years ago. Yes, he once averaged 29 points in a season. Yes, he finished top 5 in MVP voting. That was then, this is now. Last year, he was a bad basketball player. He was inefficient on offense and historically bad on defense. He's coming off of a major hip surgery and we have no idea what we'd be getting at this point. We're in a good position as a team, this isn't a gamble we need to take.

We can't just go handing out pity contracts because once upon a time he was an allstar.

[bogg]

Isaiah could've had surgery a year ago and been in a much better position as far as free agency than he is now. He opted not to, that was his choice.

He also could have shut it down in late January 2017 to have surgery and had nearly a full season of healthy-as-he-was-going-to-get basketball to put himself in the best possible position as far as free agency goes, but that's a choice he didn't have the option of making because the medical staff got it wrong. Boston also probably loses in the first round of the 2017 playoffs as a result of Isaiah putting himself first in this scenario. He also probably spends last season on the Celtics and Kyrie goes to, like, Denver if IT shuts himself down for the year last June.

And the vast majority of posters here against bringing him back aren't making him a villain, just pointing out the obvious issues. The pro-IT crowd keep harping on who he was 2 years ago. Yes, he once averaged 29 points in a season. Yes, he finished top 5 in MVP voting. That was then, this is now. Last year, he was a bad basketball player. He was inefficient on offense and historically bad on defense. He's coming off of a major hip surgery and we have no idea what we'd be getting at this point. We're in a good position as a team, this isn't a gamble we need to take.

We can't just go handing out pity contracts because once upon a time he was an allstar.

It's fine to think he's not the right fit at this point - it's the correct take and if you go back in the thread I said as much. However, the continued crying about the "Brinks truck" comments and the clear enjoyment of his subsequent struggles from certain corners of the fan base just shouldn't happen. The likelihood is that he's physically shot, but he's physically shot because the Celtics organization failed him.

[RJ87]

Isaiah could've had surgery a year ago and been in a much better position as far as free agency than he is now. He opted not to, that was his choice.

He also could have shut it down in late January 2017 to have surgery and had nearly a full season of healthy-as-he-was-going-to-get basketball to put himself in the best possible position as far as free agency goes, but that's a choice he didn't have the option of making because the medical staff got it wrong. Boston also probably loses in the first round of the 2017 playoffs as a result of Isaiah putting himself first in this scenario. He also probably spends last season on the Celtics and Kyrie goes to, like, Denver if IT shuts himself down for the year last June.

And the vast majority of posters here against bringing him back aren't making him a villain, just pointing out the obvious issues. The pro-IT crowd keep harping on who he was 2 years ago. Yes, he once averaged 29 points in a season. Yes, he finished top 5 in MVP voting. That was then, this is now. Last year, he was a bad basketball player. He was inefficient on offense and historically bad on defense. He's coming off of a major hip surgery and we have no idea what we'd be getting at this point. We're in a good position as a team, this isn't a gamble we need to take.

We can't just go handing out pity contracts because once upon a time he was an allstar.

It's fine to think he's not the right fit at this point - it's the correct take and if you go back in the thread I said as much. However, the continued crying about the "Brinks truck" comments and the clear enjoyment of his subsequent struggles from certain corners of the fan base just shouldn't happen. The likelihood is that he's physically shot, but he's physically shot because the Celtics organization failed him.

By most accounts, the initial diagnosis was incorrect but he was correctly diagnosed well before the playoffs started. He made a choice to play through it. Now if the team withheld information delaying proper treatment or pressured him to play through it, he'd have grounds to file a grievance and he should.

Again, he delayed the surgery by choice. He has FAI. Even if the initial swelling and pain subside to the point that he could play, the hip joint is still malformed, the impingement still exists, and the labrum is still getting shredded. Knowing that, he delayed surgery for a year. Possibly longer. That was a choice he made.

[Eja117]

Not saying there's a lot of people doing this but if you're one of those people that held out hope for Sully to come back here from China, or wanted Big Baby to be here on a minimum deal one of his last years in the league, or are really excited about Robert Williams, or wish Danny had traded for Cousins.....but you're just so concerned about IT creating chemistry problems here or having a bad attitude......then you have a very interesting way of looking at things.

IT made the Celtics a place people wanted to play. Now all of a sudden he's a big problem. Ridiculous. He's proud. Not stupid. And he's proud because he achieved what a lot of people said he couldn't.

[bellerephon]

It's not really fair to throw Williams into this mix, there have never been any signs that he's a bad teammate or causes locker room problems.

[bogg]

By most accounts, the initial diagnosis was incorrect but he was correctly diagnosed well before the playoffs started. He made a choice to play through it. Now if the team withheld information delaying proper treatment or pressured him to play through it, he'd have grounds to file a grievance and he should.

Again, he delayed the surgery by choice. He has FAI. Even if the initial swelling and pain subside to the point that he could play, the hip joint is still malformed, the impingement still exists, and the labrum is still getting shredded. Knowing that, he delayed surgery for a year. Possibly longer. That was a choice he made.

I mean, if you're acknowledging that the organization misdiagnosed the injury and then at the end of the year he chose to play through it to secure a 1-seed and get the team to the third round, I'm not sure what we're arguing about. Once it was June he was in an untenable situation either way - he could have either sat out a good chunk of his contract year rehabbing a hip surgery or try to rehab and play through it, both of which would have cost him money relative to having the surgery in January of last year. People should just appreciate the guy and everything he did for the team. Doesn't mean you have to bring him back, but if he's at the point where he's potentially looking at minimum deals I wouldn't mind giving him the last spot on the roster in the old Shane Larkin spot to see if he could get healthy after he recovers from the surgery.

[Eja117]

It's not really fair to throw Williams into this mix, there have never been any signs that he's a bad teammate or causes locker room problems.

There are virtually no such signs for IT either though. But we do know he can make it to practice.

[RJ87]

By most accounts, the initial diagnosis was incorrect but he was correctly diagnosed well before the playoffs started. He made a choice to play through it. Now if the team withheld information delaying proper treatment or pressured him to play through it, he'd have grounds to file a grievance and he should.

Again, he delayed the surgery by choice. He has FAI. Even if the initial swelling and pain subside to the point that he could play, the hip joint is still malformed, the impingement still exists, and the labrum is still getting shredded. Knowing that, he delayed surgery for a year. Possibly longer. That was a choice he made.

I mean, if you're acknowledging that the organization misdiagnosed the injury and then at the end of the year he chose to play through it to secure a 1-seed and get the team to the third round, I'm not sure what we're arguing about. Once it was June he was in an untenable situation either way - he could have either sat out a good chunk of his contract year rehabbing a hip surgery or try to rehab and play through it, both of which would have cost him money relative to having the surgery in January of last year. People should just appreciate the guy and everything he did for the team. Doesn't mean you have to bring him back, but if he's at the point where he's potentially looking at minimum deals I wouldn't mind giving him the last spot on the roster in the old Shane Larkin spot to see if he could get healthy after he recovers from the surgery.

I'm saying once he had the diagnosis, he should've had the surgery. If he was hellbent on playing in the playoffs, he could've had surgery once he was officially shutdown. It actually wouldn't changed his return date much. He chose not to. I don't think it's accurate or fair to say the celtics broke him when there was a lot of questionable decision making on IT's behalf in the mix.

[SparzWizard]

And, it's a cliche, but why is he still available? He's unrestricted, and if he had anything near what his proponents in this thread claim, he'd already have a deal.

Because the Celtics' former medical staff misdiagnosed a hip injury and IT derailed his own career trying to gut through it while getting the team to the Conference Finals for the first time since kicking off their rebuild.

More generally, some of the things that get said about IT around the general Celtics internet because certain people got their underwear in a bunch over a guy who was garnering MVP votes wanting to be paid like an all-star in the midst of the spendiest period in league history are absurd.  Thomas pulled the franchise out of the shadow of the KG/Pierce years and then got dumped after shooting himself physically putting the team first. For some reason people treat him like some Celtics villain.

Isaiah Thomas should've gotten his hip surgery during the East Semis against the Washington Wizards. Then the Celtics would've lost to the Wizards in that playoff series due to the lack of firepower.

[GreenEnvy]

Not sure if he fits, but I’d like to see the Celtics do something, anything, to improve this summer.  Feel like staying absolutely the same is overrating the team a bit.   For instance, ITs scoring off the bench would be a huge upgrade. 

Like sign Thomas,  then swap Rozier and Morris plus whatever to upgrade Morris?  Not sure for who. But something like that.

like the old saying goes IF U AINT GETTING BETTER YOU ARE GETTING WORSE

Celtics made it to game 7 of the ECF while taking out the new media darlings of Giannis, Embiid, and Simmons.

They will be adding Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.

And Theis.

They are getting significantly better if the roster remains exactly the same.

[bogg]

I'm saying once he had the diagnosis, he should've had the surgery. If he was hellbent on playing in the playoffs, he could've had surgery once he was officially shutdown. It actually wouldn't changed his return date much. He chose not to. I don't think it's accurate or fair to say the celtics broke him when there was a lot of questionable decision making on IT's behalf in the mix.

Hey, Isaiah's an adult and made decisions along the way. No question about it. That being said, again, his diagnosis was botched and by the time they figured out what was wrong the playoff implications were clear. He chose the team over his immediate health. He should get credit for that.

Isaiah Thomas should've gotten his hip surgery during the East Semis against the Washington Wizards. Then the Celtics would've lost to the Wizards in that playoff series due to the lack of firepower.

That's kind of the point. Isaiah sacrificed significantly in order to further the goals of the franchise, rather than the other way around, and deserves more than a little respect even if folks don't think bringing him back is a good idea (and it probably isn't).

[Dino Pitino]

I love IT and would love to have him back. He is really getting screwed now. The problem I have is he would expect and need a lot of playing time because he would be playing for another contract. I don't know if there are enough minutes to go around to afford him the time he needs to reestablish his offensive game to the point where teams desire to sign him next year. That being said the whole idea of bringing him back could backfire in the locker room and even more so for him.

Let's presuppose that he's completely down with merely being a super-sub, some nights only getting 10 minutes, other nights 20-25. He'd still be contributing to a contender for the title. And if his efficiency rates and per-minute averages look great then he could still play himself to a decent long term contract. As a winner. 

[GreenFaith1819]

Will always love IT and appreciate what he did for us.

If he EVER came back for ANY reason I'd welcome him with open arms - every day and TWICE on Sundays.

[celticinorlando]

Would love for him to be 6th man off the bench as a flamethrower

[celticinorlando]

Per Woj:

iT to the nuggets on a one year deal...vet minimum