Isaiah Thomas doing work in pickup games, hoping for longer opportunity with Phoenix Suns

DENVER – Devin Booker had long been finished putting up shots after Tuesday’s practice at Gold Crown Fieldhouse, a spacious facility in Lakewood, Colorado, that has six basketball courts spanning over 44,000 square feet of hardwood.

Wearing a hoodie with headphones properly positioned on his head, Booker sat and talked with coaches and watched a spirited pickup game involving several “low-minute” players, as Phoenix Suns coach Frank Vogel calls them, with Nassir Little, Ish Wainright, David Roddy, Josh Okogie, Thaddeus Young, Saben Lee and team staff.

And 35-year-old Isaiah Thomas.

The dude still has it.

“Looks great to me,” Booker said. “Not surprised. I’ve been on the other end of it.”

Buckets. Threes. Dimes.

"He's the Isaiah we all know," Okogie said. "Shot maker. Game changer. It's actually just fun to actually play with him, seeing all the stuff that he's done for not only for himself, but for the NBA."

The 5-9 veteran point guard signed a 10-day contract in rejoining the Suns last week with the understanding he’s on the team for depth as Lee has just four games left in the regular season as a two-way player.

Thomas has only played in one game for the Suns, but he’s been doing work in pickup action.

“He’s looked really good,” said Vogel, who watched Tuesday’s pickup game. “Healthy and still can fill it up. He can shoot it. He can attack in pick-and-rolls and he’s a hell of a passer, too.”

'You got to guard me'

Not surprised. Not surprised at all.

“I feel like I’ve always been able to do that,” said Thomas, who is averaging 17.6 points and 4.8 assists throughout his 12 NBA seasons out of Washington.

“In situations where they need me to be a scorer, I can do that at a high level. In situations where they need me to be the playmaking guard and get guys involved, I can do as well. I grew up a point guard, but I’m a scorer at the end of the day as well. I think that’s what special about my skills. I can play off the ball, I can play on the ball. I can do a lot of things offensively.”

Thomas doesn’t have to play at 5G all the time to thrive.

“I’m just so much older and so much wiser to where it’s like, I don’t really have to force too much,” Thomas continued after Tuesday’s pickup game. “If I need to put my foot on the gas to go score, then that’s what the game is telling me to do, but if I don’t, then I’m going to make a play and make things easier for others just because I know my presence on the floor, in general, is loud. No matter what floor I’m on. Whether it’s NBA or YMCA, like, you got to guard me and that’s just what it is.”

This is who Thomas has been, is now and plans to remain.

“And I’m just trying to say that in the most humble way,” said a beaming Thomas, who finished fifth in the NBA MVP voting in the 2016-17 season when he averaged a career-high 28.9 points for the Celtics.

“You got to guard. You’ve got to respect what I bring. That’s where that comes from. Just the confidence and the ability to, I’ve done it at a high level. So, I’m just able to do it.”

2nd 10-day for Thomas incoming?

Thomas sat in a chair with ice wraps on his knees, his gray Suns T-shirt soaked in sweat and a smile that perfectly complements his thirst to display who he is on the court.

“It’s always good to compete, it’s always good to play,” Thomas said. “That’s what I do, though. It doesn’t matter where it’s at. I’m just going to play, have fun with it. It’s just good opportunity to show what I got as always and play to win. If m my name is ever called, I’m going to be ready. That’s what prepares me. That’s what prepares everybody else, too. Practice and drill work is there, but when you’re able to play a little bit, it helps. It helps for sure.”

Vogel said the Suns will decide when Thomas’ first 10-day ends if they’ll sign him to a second one. Teams must sign a player to a standard contract after a second 10-day if they want to keep the player.

“I’m just taking it day by day,” Thomas said. “I hope I’m here the rest of the way because I know I can help, whether I’m playing or not. I know my voice helps. My leadership helps. My experience helps, but that’s out of my control. I’m just here taking it day-by-day and doing what I can and controlling the things I can control and that’s by being a great teammate each and every day.”

Thomas averaged 15.2 points in 46 games in the 2014-15 season with the Suns before being traded to Boston, where he had his best NBA years. Injuries later derailed his career as he played for three teams in the 2021-22 season and wasn't on an NBA team the following season. An explosive four-game stretch in the G League with the Salt Lake City Stars led to his latest league opportunity with the Suns.

Thomas averaged 32.5 points in four games with the Stars, hitting 25 threes on 44.6% shooting from deep, 5.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

“I want to play a few more years in the league,” the two-time All-Star said last week. “So, hopefully, this is a setup for that. Whatever the opportunity is, I’m ready to make an impact every day whether I play or not. It’s bigger than putting the ball in the basket for me. I’m able to lead by example, lead by my experiences and just help in any way possible.”

'We want I.T.! We want I.T.!'

The one game Thomas played was on his first official day with the team when Phoenix topped Philadelphia, 115-102, last week at home. Thomas didn’t score in his 2023-24 season debut on one shot attempt and had one assist in the game’s final two minutes.

“It’s garbage time, he’s our third string point guard,” Vogel said after the win over the 76ers.

Thomas played four games for Vogel in 2021-22 when Vogel was coaching the Lakers, averaging 9.3 points on just 30.8% shooting.

“So if the game calls for it and we have injuries or foul trouble, we can use him or if we get into garbage time where I want to get the starters out, we’ll use him then.”

Two games later, the Suns were in the final minutes of a commanding 25-point win Saturday at San Antonio in which the starters were watching from the bench. The fans started chanting “WE WANT I.T.! WE WANT I.T.!” but he was the only player dressed who didn’t see any action in the 131-106 romp.

Having Okogie back after he missed 10 games with a lower abdominal strain played into Vogel’s decision to not play Thomas.

“Prioritizing the rotational guys we had, Josh Okogie, David Roddy,” Vogel said before Monday’s loss to the Spurs. “I got to find out if those guys can play part-time point guard if it’s called for in a pinch. So we wanted to look at that.”

Okogie has played point guard for the Nigerian national team and last season with the Suns in a limited role.

"I've been blessed to play a lot of positions," Okogie said. "Wherever I need to be thrown in at, I'm comfortable doing that.

'We've got to lock in a little bit more'

No worries. No worries at all for Thomas.

“I’ve been in this situation before,” Thomas said. “So it’s not like it’s something new. I just stay ready. I stay prepared. I’m prepared as anybody is. I know if and when my name is called, I’m going to take advantage of situations, take advantage of the opportunity, but until that happens, I’m going to do my part on the bench. I’m going to be a leader in the locker room and tell the guys what I see from my point of view on the bench. I’m going to continue to lead, continue to make an impact each and every day ‘cause that’s just who I am. And then playing is just a cherry on top. If my name is called, I’m ready to go.”

Thomas delivered a message to his teammates after the bad 104-102 road loss on Monday to the Spurs, who were without rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama.

“We’ve got to lock in a little more,” Thomas said. “It’s always hard to against a team without their star player. In any level of basketball, when you’re playing against a team without their star, those other guys are a little more hyped for the opportunity. That was like a little setup game. That was a tough game to play. We still had a chance to win, though.”

Kevin Durant and Booker each missed 3s in the game’s final seconds.

“What I’m saying to those guys is you got to play the game the right way, you got to continue to communicate,” Thomas continued. “You got to continue to do the right things or the basketball gods will do what they did last night to where a guy that usually doesn’t hit 3s hits an amazing shot to win the game.”

Jeremy Sochan nailed the winning 3 with 29.2 seconds left after going 0-for-6 from deep in the game. He’s shooting 30.9% from 3 this season.

“Those type of things happen,” Thomas continued. “I think we got to be a little more locked in throughout the whole game.”

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Isaiah Thomas awaits shot with Phoenix Suns while on 10-day