Isaiah Thomas has been out of the NBA for 14 months, and after going through hip resurfacing surgery, he finally has a chance at redemption, as the New Orleans Pelicans have inked him to a 10-day contract. In a press conference on Thursday, he told reporters, “I was always going to get back no matter what” and indicated that his hip feels “102 percent.” Thomas was All-NBA second team and fifth overall in MVP voting in 2016-17, but then he only played 84 games over the next three seasons due to hip discomfort. Getting released last season was the wake-up call he needed to get the hip procedure done. Can he show his old form in New Orleans? The Pelicans could certainly use the boost.
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Clippers add DeMarcus Cousins on 10-day contract
The Clippers have some major depth issues at center, as Serge Ibaka, their starter, has missed 11 contests with an injured back. Ivica Zubac has been starting in Ibaka’s place. Cousins is a four-time All-Star, but despite the fact that he is only 30 years old, he has not found a steady team over the past few seasons. During the 2017-18 campaign, he ruptured an Achilles tendon as part of the New Orleans Pelicans. He rehabbed and then came back with Golden State in 2018-19 but then tore a quad muscle. In 2019-20, he found his way to the Lakers, but he blew out an ACL before he ever took the floor in a game. He played 25 games with Houston earlier in the season, putting up 9.6 points and 7.6 boards per game but only shot 37.6 percent from the floor.
Nets’ Harden dealing with hamstring issues
James Harden had missed the previous two games ahead of Monday’s matchup with the Knicks due to hamstring tightness. He returned to face the Knicks, although head coach Steve Nash had indicated that he would be closely monitored but would not have a restriction on his minutes. However, he only played four minutes before the tightness became such a factor that he had to come out for the remainder of the night. Nash indicated, both before and after the game, that imaging that had taken place on Harden’s leg did not show any structural damage, so it will be up to Harden to determine when he is ready to return. Brooklyn was still able to beat the Knicks by two, despite missing Blake Griffin (injury maintenance), Landry Shamet (ankle), Tyler Johnson (knee) and Kevin Durant (hamstring).
Warriors taking a patient look at Wiseman
Rookie center James Wiseman, just 20, is hitting some rough patches in his development in Golden State. He was the second overall pick in last year’s draft, and he has put up 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. However, his overall play has not reached the consistency that the team had hoped would arise. According to head coach Steve Kerr, the playing time that Wiseman gets down the stretch will depend on his progress at correcting the mistakes that he makes on the floor. Wiseman’s minutes have dwindled as of late, and the team has faltered in recent weeks, dropping seven of eight to fall four games beneath .500 going into a Tuesday night matchup against Milwaukee. Wiseman was a starter when the season began despite missing much of training camp due to COVID-19 protocols, but Kevon Looney replaced him in the starting lineup on January 25 in a move that was designed to bring stability to the defense. Wiseman responded well, initially, but then he missed almost a month with a wrist injury and then missed two consecutive COVID-19 testing days in the All-Star break, which got him benched. His most important areas of improvement come on defense, and while Kerr is optimistic about Wiseman going forward, the team is tapping the brakes on his playing time for now.
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