Former-Celtic, Isaiah Thomas, is facing yet another suspension after making contact with an official 88 seconds into the game last night against the Portland Trailblazers. Isaiah was ejected from the contest for what was called a hostile act towards an official. The replay tended to support the ejection.
IT was also ejected late in a game against the Philadelphia 76'ers when he went into the stands to verbally confront a heckling fan. That incident happened with only a couple of minutes remaining in a game that was already decided. Isaiah was suspended two games on December 22, 2019 for the infraction. His latest incident happened very early in the first quarter only two weeks after the Philadelphia infraction. One has to wonder where Thomas' frustration is coming from. Another suspension appears imminent.
With Washington's two stars, John Wall and Bradley Beal, out of action with injuries, IT remaining on the court has become important. But the Wizards are ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 10-24 record, and are going nowhere this season. Isaiah is averaging 24.2 minutes per game for the season, but those minutes have dropped to 14.2 MPG over the last three games. In the 3-game span, he is only averaging 6.3 PPG, zero RPG and 1.7 APG, while shooting only 31% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc. Isaiah's limited floor time and recent lack of production may be playing a role in his frustration.
I predicted a short suspension for IT's Philly infraction, and that came to pass (2-game suspension). Thomas' contact with the official last night appeared to be a minor shove, and I expect his suspension will be more than two games. Playing limited minutes on an injury-depleted team, and producing little for a team heading nowhere may be taking a toll. Isaiah seems to be suffering from some physical or mental malady, and a pre-deadline trade may be in the offing. He will be 31 years old next month, and his best days may be behind him.
Those "best days" were with the Boston Celtics when his dominant and exhilarating play took the Celtics deep into the playoffs. All that aside, Isaiah's actions in Philadelphia to verbally confront an obnoxious fan were partially understandable. His "hostile act" against an NBA official was clearly not justifiable in any sense. Expect a multi-game suspension.
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Isaiah Thomas got ejected 88 seconds into the game after what was called a hostile act to an official. pic.twitter.com/O5GmY9Pqnt
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 4, 2020
IT was also ejected late in a game against the Philadelphia 76'ers when he went into the stands to verbally confront a heckling fan. That incident happened with only a couple of minutes remaining in a game that was already decided. Isaiah was suspended two games on December 22, 2019 for the infraction. His latest incident happened very early in the first quarter only two weeks after the Philadelphia infraction. One has to wonder where Thomas' frustration is coming from. Another suspension appears imminent.
The ref was so furious he showed Isaiah Thomas both the exit doors
— Prime Time Odds (@TimeOdds) January 4, 2020
pic.twitter.com/7DVYzR5aUQ
With Washington's two stars, John Wall and Bradley Beal, out of action with injuries, IT remaining on the court has become important. But the Wizards are ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 10-24 record, and are going nowhere this season. Isaiah is averaging 24.2 minutes per game for the season, but those minutes have dropped to 14.2 MPG over the last three games. In the 3-game span, he is only averaging 6.3 PPG, zero RPG and 1.7 APG, while shooting only 31% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc. Isaiah's limited floor time and recent lack of production may be playing a role in his frustration.
I predicted a short suspension for IT's Philly infraction, and that came to pass (2-game suspension). Thomas' contact with the official last night appeared to be a minor shove, and I expect his suspension will be more than two games. Playing limited minutes on an injury-depleted team, and producing little for a team heading nowhere may be taking a toll. Isaiah seems to be suffering from some physical or mental malady, and a pre-deadline trade may be in the offing. He will be 31 years old next month, and his best days may be behind him.
Those "best days" were with the Boston Celtics when his dominant and exhilarating play took the Celtics deep into the playoffs. All that aside, Isaiah's actions in Philadelphia to verbally confront an obnoxious fan were partially understandable. His "hostile act" against an NBA official was clearly not justifiable in any sense. Expect a multi-game suspension.
Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel, @CausewayStreet and Facebook
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