The Golden State Warriors have added scoring to their second unit this offseason.
They don’t necessarily need a player like Isaiah Thomas, but that hasn’t stopped them from scheduling a workout with the former MVP candidate. He’s been a popular addition for playoff-hopeful franchises.
The Golden State Warriors are set to workout point guard Isaiah Thomas, and if that’s the move, it really wouldn’t make much sense.
Thomas was a great guard for the Celtics, having helped them reach the Eastern Conference Finals as the undoubted leader. He had MVP potential while with Boston, scoring 28.9 points per game and shooting a career-high 46.3 percent from the field.
However, for the Warriors, they have scoring on the roster and even on the bench.
Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, the team’s two rookies, will have scoring potential off the bench, both averaging over 16 points per game in the Las Vegas Summer League. On top of that, Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala should be able to get a bucket if necessary.
There’s no reason the Warriors need to add another player that’s incapable defensively. They need to build a second unit that can maintain a lead, and for now, that shouldn’t be one that includes Thomas. His main threat as a player is that he can go out and score with ease.
He’s failed to so efficiently in the recent past. Over the last three seasons, Thomas has played in just 55 games. That’s concerning in and of itself as he’s struggled to stay on a roster. On top of that, over that span of time, Thomas has failed to hit 40 percent of his attempts.
Thomas being 5-foot-9 certainly doesn’t help his cause. As noted, he’s a liability defensively which is likely why he’s been released following a short stint with three different teams over the last three seasons.
Thomas spent three seasons ago with Denver then Washington and most recently with the Pelicans. With Stephen Curry on the roster, there’ no need to have a scoring guard that will expect to get more than 15 minutes per game.
With high expectations coming in, Thomas would likely only disappoint with the Warriors. Given their needs, they need more of a floor general than a score-first guard.