Stevens On Thomas: 'He Can Create Offense In A Number Of Ways'
BOSTON (CBS) - The Boston Celtics kick off the second half of their season Friday night in Sacramento, and head coach Brad Stevens can't wait to see his newest player in action.
The Celtics acquired point guard Isaiah Thomas from the Suns just ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, sending Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first-round pick to Phoenix. A dynamic offensive player, Stevens is excited to see Thomas in action alongside the likes of Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart, but will have to wait a bit.
Thomas was heading to Boston on Friday and won't join the team until later this weekend. Though he won't be on the floor Friday night against the Kings, Stevens is happy that Danny Ainge was able to add a player with Thomas' offensive ability to his rotation.
"He's a guy who can create offense in a number of different ways," Stevens said Friday on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand. "He can score off the ball or off of screens, but he's really good with the ball and really good using high pick and rolls to score. He's got great speed, he's crafty and gets to the foul line."
Stevens isn't sure how the minutes will work just yet, and said he won't classify Thomas as a point guard or shooting guard. He did say that Thomas will get plenty of playing time when he joins the team.
"I haven't really thought about how we're going to rotate guys, but I think we do have a good back court dynamic that has defended exceptionally well together. Adding Isaiah and his creativity to that mix is a good thing."
While the Celtics added some offense on Thursday, they'll be without one of their big men for the foreseeable future. Jared Sullinger is out indefinitely with a foot injury, adding further strain to Boston's front court depth.
"I think it's going to be a while, but I don't know what the timing means. It's not a fracture, it's a stress reaction in his left foot. Those are just as scary and it could be an extended amount of time," Stevens said. "The trainers don't want to put a time frame on it, and that makes sense to me. The bottom line is we have to get him better and we have to get rid of that thing so he can move forward healthy."
Listen to full segment, including Stevens' thoughts on how the addition of Thomas plays into Marcus Smart's role and a tough stretch ahead for his Celtics:
