In his first game since being traded from the Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers guard Isaiah Thomas was a stranger among the team’s system; an outsider looking in. However, that didn’t stop Thomas from contributing a solid effort in the team’s loss to Dallas.
Thomas scored 22 points and dished out six assists off the bench in 30 minutes of action Saturday night. Sure, he had his fair share of problems — such as accruing five fouls and failing to efficiently score in the fourth quarter — but it’s all part of the adjustment process.
“I wanted to bring something to the table,” Thomas said, according to ESPN. “I felt like I got my powers back playing on this team.”
For Thomas, a player who’s been traded twice in the past six months, his prime objective is to keep the Lakers’ chemistry in tact and pitch in wherever he can.
“This is the best they have been playing,” Thomas said, according to ESPN. “I don’t want to mess anything up. And I told [Walton] that. Whatever he needs me to do, I am willing to do that. Yes, I would love to be a starter. I feel like I deserve that and earned that, but at the same time, it’s a new chapter for me. I am here to help this team, help these young guys, continue to be professional, continue to work hard and continue to jell together.”
Thomas has spent much of the season rehabbing from hip surgery, having only played in 15 games with Cleveland before he was traded. His body still isn’t at 100 percent, and his confidence and game will likely continue growing back as the season moves forward in Los Angeles.
