http://thekingsblog.com/2012/03/closer-look-isaiahs-case-for-roy/

Find out how Thomas has played his way into Rookie of the Year consideration.
Plus, discover how his impact has helped the Kings succeed and the
lowest-picked player to win the 1st-year honor.

While catching Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving may present a tall
order, Sacramento Kings floor general Isaiah Thomas, the 60th and final
selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, is quickly gaining ground in a
hotly-contested race for the Rookie of the Year award.

“It would be an honor to win Rookie of the Year,” says Thomas, who was
named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for February. “It would be
a blessing from God to win it, but I’m really just focused on getting better
as an individual and us getting better as a team.

“If I win it, I win it, and I’d be really happy if I did.”

In 18 games since his first-career start on February 17, Thomas leads all
first-year players in three-point field goals made (31) and three-point
accuracy (43.1 percent). The energetic sparkplug ranks second in scoring
(14.6 points per game on 48.9 percent shooting), third in assists (5.0) and
free throw percentage (89.7 percent – minimum 15 attempts) and sixth in
steals (1.1).

“Why not?” Kings guard Marcus Thornton asked rhetorically about No. 22’s
Rookie of the Year chances. “You look at his numbers since he’s been
starting, and he should win it – numbers don’t lie. He’s been great since
he’s been playing more.”

Team captain Chuck Hayes shares a similar assessment while praising the
speedy guard for his aggressiveness and poise.

“He’s got my vote,” says Hayes. “If not Rookie of the Year, then he’s
definitely on the All-Rookie First Team.”

Flourishing as a starter, Thomas has done it all on the court – running the
offense with the confidence and steadfast demeanor of a seasoned veteran,
pushing the tempo in transition and recognizing how to spread the floor. In
addition to setting up his teammates, Thomas has exhibited the ability to
score from the perimeter, by penetrating to the basket and converting off the
pick-and-roll.

“He’s just growing every game – from training camp, he’s a completely
different guy,” says Coach Keith Smart, adding that the rookie has “
blossomed in front of our eyes.”

On the season, the 5-foot-9 dynamo has recorded the third-highest Player
Efficiency Rating (17.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.03), as well as the
fourth-highest assist percentage (25.3) and true shooting percentage (57.0
percent) among all rookies who’ve played over 500 minutes.

“Now that he’s had a chance to be on the floor, he’s playing just as well
as some of the other young point guards in our league,” says Smart.

To Thomas, who has overcome doubt and criticism at every stage of his
basketball career, being mentioned among the League’s best up-and-coming
stars so early in his career hardly comes as a surprise.

“I always felt like if I got the opportunity and the minutes that Coach has
given me, I could produce at a high level and do the things I’m doing right
now,” he says.

“Basketball is the same at every level – it’s a 10-foot hoop, same
basketball and 10 players on the court.”

Under the point guard’s direction over the last 18 contests, the Kings lead
the League with 20.9 fastbreak points and 53.7 points in the paint per game.
The team has also posted an Offensive Efficiency of at least 100 15 times
after doing so in 11 of the first 29 games of the season, according to
HoopData.com. Sacramento has correspondingly averaged 105.7 points per game
(second in the League) during the stretch – up from 92.6 – and dished out
at least 20 assists in 13 of Thomas’ 18 starts.

Thomas credits his upbringing with helping him develop his leadership skills
and the unwavering confidence that separates him from many of his first-year
peers.

“I don’t feel like a rookie out there, because I’ve been around NBA
(players) for a long time with guys up in Seattle, being so close to Jason
Terry, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson and Brandon Roy,” explains No. 22. “I’
m a lot more mature than most people my age, and that comes from my parents
and the guys I surround myself with.”

Thomas’ dedication and remarkable impact on Sacramento’s performance has
not been overlooked by his teammates.

“He’s become our point guard on the team and become a great leader game by
game, even though he’s a rookie,” says Thornton. “He’s been able to get
everybody in spots when they need to, so guys like me and Tyreke (Evans) can
get out and run the break now, reel out and really get out in transition and
score buckets.”

Veteran Francisco Garcia says Thomas is “playing as well as anyone right now,
” and John Salmons has also been impressed with way the first-year guard has
elevated the team’s play since being inserted into the starting lineup.

“Isaiah has been great – he really leads the team and he plays with
tremendous heart, and I think that’s his biggest value,” says Salmons. “He
clearly helped the team from the time he started to play heavy minutes, and I
don’t think too many rookies have done that this year.”

Kings Assistant Coach Bobby Jackson, who has frequently watched film with
Thomas and worked closely with him during practices, has noticed a more
composed and mature player.

“He was quiet coming in as a rookie, and now he’s a little bit outspoken,
so he’s started to change as a leader and as a player, started to learn more
and be more vocal,” says Jackson. “That’s my guy – he’s gotten the team
to be consistent, be productive on any given night and also helped the team
get wins.”

Unafraid to take the big shot with the game on the line, Thomas is tied for
seventh in the League in three-pointers in the final five minutes of the
fourth quarter or overtime (12), and has averaged 34.1 points per 48 minutes
on 60 percent shooting in clutch situations, according to 82games.com.

“I feel like I play better in pressure situations, and because the coaches
trust me a lot and play me in the fourth quarter in different types of
situations down the stretch, and my teammates respect me and have faith in
me, that goes a long way, too,” says Thomas. “I’ve always been a guy who
wants to make the big play and is not afraid. If things don’t go my way, if
I miss a shot at the end of the game, I’m not afraid to get the criticism,
because that’s what comes with being a good player.”

In just his second game as a starter on February 19, Thomas came within a
pair of rebounds of finishing with a spectacular triple-double against the
Cavs, recording 23 points, 11 assists and eight boards, while being matched
up against Irving, the Draft’s top selection.

“(Irving is) a great talent – I was going at him and he was coming right
back at me, so it was kind of back and forth,” recalls Thomas. “People kind
of hyped it more than it was, (although) it was the No. 1 pick and No. 60.”

Two nights later against the Miami Heat, Thomas scored 20 points in the third
quarter – the most by a Kings rookie in a dozen years – and tied the
franchise record for three-pointers in a quarter (five).

“I just started feeling it – I felt like I was back in high school, because
that’s when I was a big-time scorer,” he says. “I started hitting some
shots and my teammates started finding me, and I just felt like I couldn’t
be stopped in that third quarter.”

On the defensive end, Thomas has used his speed, toughness and basketball IQ
to frustrate opposing players and force them into difficult shots, while
continuing to make game-changing plays.

“(The key is) just not backing down,” he describes. “I have to use my
height to my advantage – and a lot of people look at me kind of weird when I
say that – but the further and further out I have a player, the more they
are to my advantage.

“I know teams are going to try to post me up, but that’s what I work hard
for, that’s what I get in the weight room for, to try to hold my ground and
hold my mark on the defensive end and show them that I’m not a liability.”

On March 7, Thomas battled and stole the inbounds pass against the New
Orleans Hornets, and then found Salmons cutting to the basket for a lay-up to
lead Sacramento’s comeback victory.

“It was just a play that winning players make,” says Thomas. “I saw the
ball was in the air and I had to make a play on it, and luckily, I got the
ball. I felt like when (Trevor Ariza) let the ball go in the air, it was an
opportunity for me to try to go for it.”

No. 22 has undeniably made the most of all of his opportunities this season,
and while he doesn’t view the Rookie of the Year race as a one-on-one
contest, his hard work has put him in a tight battle with Irving for the
award.

No matter the outcome of the voting, Thomas, who says he has become a student
of the point guard position by learning from All-Stars such as Rajon Rondo,
Chris Paul and Steve Nash, vows never to lose sight of the mindset which has
put him in the position to thrive.

“I play every game like it’s my last,” he says. “Some guys get to this
level on just talent and they don’t play as hard as they should, but me, that
’s what got me here, and I feel like I’ve got to go 110 percent until the
last game of my career.”

Free Throws

- In franchise history, the team has had five players garner Rookie of the
Year honors: Tyreke Evans (2010), Phil Ford (1979), Jerry Lucas (1964), Oscar
Robertson (1961) and Maurice Stokes (1956).

- The shortest player to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award is Damon
Stoudamire (1996), who, like Thomas, hails from the Pacific Northwest. The
University of Arizona product was listed at 5-foot-10.

- The lowest-picked player to win Rookie of the Year is Woody Sauldsberry
(1958), who was selected in the 8th Round of the 1957 NBA Draft by the
Philadelphia Warriors. Similar to Thomas, Sauldsberry was the 60th-overall
pick.

And-One

- Although Thomas admits to occasionally getting star-struck when facing many
of his childhood heroes on the floor, the rookie remains focused on his
nightly responsibilities.

“Before the game, you’re a little nervous because you watched them on TV
and watched them growing up, but once I get in the game, once the ball goes
up, it’s like I’m playing back at home at the park,” he says.