Celtics' Thomas: 'I wanna be the best little guy to ever play the game'
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog.
Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, listed at 5-foot-9, has never let his small stature stand in the way of him being a dominant guard at the pro level. He's extremely confident in his ability to score on all areas of the court, whether it's finishing at the rim (career 65 percent in the restricted area) or stretching the floor by nailing 36.3 of his 3-point attempts.
When asked by MassLive.com's Jay King about what motivates him, Thomas's response was befitting of a man who truly wants to be considered great:
Isaiah Thomas on what drives him: "I wanna be the best little guy to ever play the game of basketball."
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) September 2, 2015
Thomas led the Celtics in scoring upon his arrival following the trade deadline, averaging 19 points and 5.4 assists on 41.1 percent shooting, despite never once starting a game. That will likely continue in 2015-16 with Marcus Smart running the point, a role Thomas wishes he had.
Thomas was asked if he's warmed up to prospect of coming off bench. Let's just say his stance hasn't changed. Vows to be good teammate tho
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) September 2, 2015
The 26-year-old finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season with 324 points (33 first-place votes), losing out to eventual winner Lou Williams of the Toronto Raptors.
In terms of becoming the "best little guy" to ever grace the hardwood, he'll have a tall hill to climb. His best bet is to aim for being the greatest player under 6 feet tall, as chasing the likes of Allen Iverson (6 feet) and Nate Archibald (6-foot-1) would be no easy task.
As it pertains to scoring the rock, Thomas matches up well with other guards at his size. He currently ranks second all-time in points per game among players under six feet tall with at least 200 outings under their belt, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
- With h/t to Pro Basketball Talk