Ht/Wt: 5-9 / 185 lbs
Position: PG
Team: Washington
Class: Junior

2011 Draft Profile - Isaiah Thomas

One of the best guards in the Pac 10 for the last 3 years, I have been following Thomas since he was Washington State’s most prolific scorer as a high school underclassman. Thomas has NBA range even off the dribble. Has since added a lot of muscle, improving his ability to take contact and score in the paint, but has lost some of his shooting accuracy. Thomas would be one of the leagues shortest players but plays much bigger. Thomas has a high release point on his shot, he has NBA level athleticism, can dunk with ease on a breakaway, great first step to get past his man and upper body strength to take contact and finish. He is great at getting to the line and very durable for his size. Thomas gets a lot of freedom in Romar’s offense and doesn’t lack confidence, and plays well in big games. Thomas also has great vision and leads the conference in assists and 4th in scoring.

Although he has shown great play at the pg spot, he has played more off the ball in college. For NBA scouts he is much too small to match up against 2 guards and is inexperienced at running the point. His shooting and athleticism are great in college but average by NBA standards, which magnifies his shorter stature. Many like to compare him to former UW guard and mentor Nate Robinson, they have similar body types, and although Thomas is strong and one of the most athletic players in the Pac 10, he is not quite at the level of the freakish Robinson, not quite as good of a shooter either. However, he does have more natural pg qualities, better vision, IQ, is a better teammate, with a better feel for the game. Thomas also has recently showed the hustle that an undersized player needs to have, and is definitely not afraid of the challenge to take his game higher. Isaiah has the desire you look for in a player.

Thomas may need some D league minutes to hone his pg skills, but when he does that he can give a team spot minutes at the pg position, if he also regains the shooting accuracy he had before he added his upper-body strength, he can be a solid pg.

NBA comparison- Dana Barros/ JJ Barea
Player profile submitted by: Tom Patterson

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