Isaiah Thomas made his debut with the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night against the team that drafted him, the Sacramento Kings, his first game in eleven months.
Thomas only played 13 minutes in the game, checking in during the first quarter to a standing ovation from the Nuggets fans in Pepsi Center. He immediately made a positive impact for the Nuggets, getting the ball to Paul Millsap on the baseline for an assist, and then working the pick and roll with Mason Plumlee, delivering an on-point pass for an alley-oop jam.
He didn’t get his first field goal until the third quarter, knocking down a 3-pointer in transition to bring the Nuggets within one point, then following it up with another basket, isolating against Marvin Bagley III and stepping into a 3-pointer from the top of the arc.
He spent his time in the game for the most part alongside Torrey Craig, Paul Millsap, and Mason Plumlee. With Thomas’ height and lack of game experience with the Nuggets, playing him with the team’s best three defenders is a great way to minimize Thomas’ defensive deficiencies.
The highlights are brief, but offer a glimpse into what Thomas brings to the team. He’s a playmaker, an electric scoring option, and a guy that can be a spark off the bench for a team that all too often starts games slow.
This is going to be fun.
