One of the main reasons that Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge was so willing to part ways with All-Star Isaiah Thomas was due to the point guard’s hip injury suffered in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. The injury caused Thomas to miss the final three games of Boston’s season.
There were initially some optimistic reports regarding Thomas’ ability to rehabilitate and recover quickly, in time for the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Oct. 17 opener against the Celtics, but ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski uncovered some troubling news late Wednesday evening on SportsCenter.
Woj: "Isaiah Thomas hasn't even begun running yet in his rehabilitation process. … Those close to him say he may not be ready for opener."
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) August 24, 2017
The fact that the star guard has yet to even start running in his rehabilitation process several months after the injury is concerning, especially considering the Cavs gave up one of the most dynamic offensive guards in the game in Kyrie Irving to obtain Thomas.
“There’s probably a little bit of delay for Isaiah to start this year,” Ainge said in a conference call with reporters following the trade becoming official Tuesday night.
On paper, the Cavs came away with the better end of the trade, considering they also received defensive stalwart Jae Crowder and a 2018 first-round draft pick in addition to Thomas. However, if the point guard is unable to return to his All-Star form, perhaps it was the Celtics who came out on top.
