7. Isaiah Thomas, Cleveland Cavaliers
Lost is the hysteria surrounding the Celtics/Cavaliers point guard swap is the fact that Isaiah Thomas finished fifth in MVP voting last season. The 5-foot-9 dynamo put up 28.9 points per game while propelling the Celtics to the first seed in the Eastern Conference. Acting like the Cavs made any significant downgrades in the short term is foolish.
While Thomas is a revolving door on defense, his offense is more than enough to counteract that. He’s an elite 3-point shooter with a quick first step and ample craftiness when inside the arc. He has a way of getting off shots from angles somebody his size shouldn’t be able to find, and it makes for thorough entertainment whenever he’s in a groove.
There’s a good chance we don’t see Thomas until January, which means the adjustment period could be long and arduous. Once he’s comfortable playing alongside LeBron James, though, he should remind critics (and the Celtics) just how special his talent is.