Get Over I.T.: Isaiah Thomas is a Superstar

Isaiah Thomas continues to add to his superstar case

Somewhere in hoops Neverland a bearded basketball genius can’t sleep. Few know of this wizard of the rock because he can’t be seen, but what he decides shapes an entire generation’s understanding of the game. You see, he is the definitive elector of an NBA superstar, and Boston Celtics fans have been calling him all night about their guy Isaiah Thomas after he dropped 52 in a 117-114 win against the Miami Heat. He’s got a tough decision to make.

How does an NBA player go from great to elite? I’m not sure at what point a vast majority of viewers can point at a guy and say “Yep, that is a superstar,” but Thomas has been creeping towards the discussion. Forgive me while I say he’s always fallen short.

In fact, I’m sure you could ask ten well-informed, die-hard Celtics fans if Thomas is a superstar and at least seven would say no. They’re not sure why. They could tell you maybe his game isn’t complete enough.

A superstar needs to be able to score in a multitude of ways, make his teammates better, get a bucket when your team most needs one, and compete well enough on the defensive end to round everything out. They’re convinced about the scoring variety but not everything else.

This is all well and kind of good, but the truth is that nobody has told them that Thomas is most-definitely, without-a-doubt, put-a-stamp-on-it, a bona fide superstar, because there is no consensus. It’s almost like everyone watching is shrugging their shoulders, looking around, and waiting for some prophet of Isaiah to declare it.

And he’s out there, looking through the numbers, remaking a list of what constitutes a modern-day superstar and checking it way more than twice. His job is tough sometimes, but not always.

Kyrie Irving made his decision an easy one in game seven of the NBA Finals last year. Superstar. Next. Paul George gradually moved up until his performance against LeBron James and the Heat in the 2013 conference finals created another consensus: Superstar.

But something tells me that the superstar decider is sick of making his declarations after a certain player’s postseason performance makes it all but inevitable.

Isaiah Thomas’ 52, (29 in the fourth quarter alone) against an uninspiring Miami team in late December is surely not reason enough to declare him a star. But what if the Celtics make a run in the postseason? What if they get a shot at Cleveland in the conference finals? Would it really surprise you if Thomas goes off in that series?

Dec 30, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) drives to the basket past Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson (8) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

That would surely spark a unified agreement that Thomas has reached the mountaintop, thus tweaking the common understanding that the Celtics need a real superstar in order to contend. They do, but only because it takes multiple stars to win in today’s league.

Something tells me the superstar decider wants to beat you to the punch this time. Maybe you are a Celtics fan who is cringing at the stat geeks who just had to bring your guy Paul Pierce into the discussion: “He never got 52.”

Thomas is not Pierce. Not yet anyway. But to that Celtics fan I would also encourage you to consider that the NBA is vastly different than ten years ago when Pierce was in his ultimate prime. Sure it might be easier for a guy to score in today’s game, especially under the freedom and three point encouragement of Brad Stevens, but what if these mega point explosion’s do constitute a star in today’s NBA?

You might not like it, but it’s the same reason why Irving is a consensus top notch player. Big-time scorers, and especially deadly shooters are valued more highly than ever, and Thomas is both of those.

He is, after all, seventh in the league in scoring at 26.9 points per game, which puts him ahead of names like Curry, Leonard, Durant and James, all guys that the wizard had deemed superstars years ago.

Yeah, yeah “that’s not really fair and I’m still not convinced.” Whatever. It’s not on me to convince you, I’m just telling you which way the all-mighty decider is leaning. You can wait another year to shout it out if you want, but Thomas’ 52 should be more than appreciated and respected. It should nudge you a little closer to feeling comfortable with this statement: Isaiah Thomas is a superstar. Finally. Let’s go to bed.