3 reasons the Golden State Warriors shouldn’t bring in Isaiah Thomas

MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 22: Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Washington Wizards in action against the Miami Heat during the second half at American Airlines Arena on January 22, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 22: Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Washington Wizards in action against the Miami Heat during the second half at American Airlines Arena on January 22, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Defense

Isaiah Thomas, as you can guess, isn’t a great defender.

At just 5-foot-9, it’s tough for Thomas to contend well. While Golden State could cover that weakness up with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, if Thomas is the second unit’s leader, he may not be playing with the likes of those two often.

Even when playing 34 minutes per game, Thomas rarely averaged over a steal per game and never even neared a block every two games. It might be something Golden State could get over if they bring him in on a non-guaranteed contract in order to prove his impact fire.

Over the last three seasons, Thomas has put up -3.9, -2.5 and -3.9 respectively in defensive win shares. He’s a liability on that end of the floor, and despite being a terrific scorer at times, Thomas needs to be able to succeed as a defender.

Thomas has work to do there, and it’d really boil down to what Golden State is looking for in that backup point guard role, one they’ll reportedly prioritize filling this offseason.